Acta Neuropsychiatr. 1995 Sep;7(3):75-9. doi: 10.1017/S0924270800037376.
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland mainly during the night. The discovery that this melatonin secretion decreases under the influence of bright light, gave rise to the use of light therapy in some affective disorders. The literature on the relationship between melatonin secretion and mood is reviewed concerning seasonal affective disorder, non-seasonal affective disorder and premenstrual syndrome. Light therapy could reduce an abnormal high melatonin secretion back to normal proportions. None of the affective disorders, however, is accompanied by an unusual high melatonin level. Nevertheless, light therapy as well as other therapies that suppress melatonin have a therapeutic effect. This is not the case with the administration of melatonin. Mood is not affected by extra melatonin in seasonal affective disorder but it is in both other affective disorders. Melatonin plays a part in the pathogenesis of the affective disorders but it is not yet clear which one.
褪黑素是由松果体主要在夜间分泌的一种激素。发现这种褪黑素分泌在明亮光线的影响下减少，这促使人们在一些情感障碍中使用光疗。本文综述了褪黑素分泌与情绪之间的关系，涉及季节性情感障碍、非季节性情感障碍和经前综合征。光疗可以将异常高的褪黑素分泌减少到正常比例。然而，没有一种情感障碍伴随着异常高的褪黑素水平。尽管如此，光疗以及其他抑制褪黑素的疗法都有治疗效果。而给予褪黑素则并非如此。在季节性情感障碍中，额外的褪黑素不会影响情绪，但在其他两种情感障碍中则会。褪黑素在情感障碍的发病机制中起一定作用，但目前尚不清楚是哪种作用。
