Rosen L N, Livingstone I R, Rosenthal N E
Clinical Psychobiology Branch NIMH, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Med Hypotheses. 1991 Dec;36(4):376-8. doi: 10.1016/0306-9877(91)90014-p.
For 68 years latitude has been identified as an important risk factor in the occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS), but not satisfactory explanation has been offered for this relationship. Epidemiological studies of MS, however, have failed to take into account the degree of change in the amount of ambient light over the course of the year, a variable which is closely related to photoperiod and latitude. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), another illness for which latitude is a risk factor, appears to be related to the decrease in ambient light during the winter months, and offers some relevant insights into the geographical distribution of risk for developing MS. Researchers have found a relationship between degree of reported seasonal difficulties in a population sample and altered immunological function. Furthermore, the effects of bright light on mood have been shown to be regulated through the eye. We hypothesize that the risk of developing MS is related to impairment of the immune system caused by light deprivation prior to adulthood.
68年来，纬度一直被视为多发性硬化症（MS）发病的一个重要风险因素，但尚未对这种关系给出令人满意的解释。然而，MS的流行病学研究未能考虑到一年中环境光量的变化程度，这一变量与光周期和纬度密切相关。季节性情感障碍（SAD）是另一种与纬度相关的疾病，似乎与冬季环境光的减少有关，这为MS发病风险的地理分布提供了一些相关见解。研究人员发现，在人群样本中报告的季节性困难程度与免疫功能改变之间存在关联。此外，强光对情绪的影响已被证明是通过眼睛调节的。我们假设，成年前因光照不足导致免疫系统受损与患MS的风险有关。
