Lewy A J, Sack R L
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
Chronobiol Int. 1989;6(1):93-102. doi: 10.3109/07420528909059144.
Masking is known to affect a variety of circadian rhythms, making it difficult to use them as reliable markers of circadian phase position. Melatonin may be unique in that it appears to be masked only by (bright) light. Sleep and activity do not appear to influence the melatonin rhythm. By measuring the onset of melatonin production, a clearly demarcated event, we can reliably assess circadian phase position, provided blood is sampled under dim light (the dim light melatonin onset, or DLMO). The DLMO has been useful in assessing the phase-shifting properties of bright light and in phase typing patients with chronobiologic disorders, such as winter depression.
已知掩盖效应会影响多种昼夜节律，因此难以将它们用作昼夜节律相位位置的可靠标志物。褪黑素可能是独特的，因为它似乎仅被（明亮的）光线掩盖。睡眠和活动似乎不会影响褪黑素节律。通过测量褪黑素分泌开始这一明确界定的事件，我们可以可靠地评估昼夜节律相位位置，前提是在暗光下采集血液样本（暗光褪黑素起始时间，即DLMO）。DLMO在评估强光的相位转移特性以及对患有时间生物学障碍（如冬季抑郁症）的患者进行相位分型方面很有用。
