• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2013

Objectives: Several evidence has been suggested that the circadian gene variants contribute to the pathogenesis of seasonal affective disorder. In this study, we aimed to investigate the polymorphism in RORA (Retinoid-related orphan receptor A) gene in relation to seasonal variations among healthy young adults in Seoul, Korea. Methods: A total of 507 young healthy adult subjects were recruited by advertisement. Seasonal variations were assessed by the Seasonality Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Single-nucleotide polymorphism in the RORA rs11071547 gene was genotyped by PCR in 507 individuals. Considering summer type as confounding factor, we conducted analysis 478 subjects except 29 subjects of summer type. The Chi-square test was conducted to compare differences between groups of seasonals and non-seasonals. Association between genotypes and Global Seasonality Score (GSS) were tested using ANCOVA (Analysis of covariance). Results: In this sample, the prevalence of SAD was 12.1% (winter type 9.3%, summer type 2.8%). There is no significant difference in genotyping distribution of RORA rs11071547 between groups of seasonals and non-seasonals. Global seasonality score (GSS) and scores of all subscales except body weight and appetite were not significantly different between the group with C allele homozygote and the group with T allele homozygote and heterozygote (p-value 0.138). Scores of body weight and appetite were significantly higher in group with C allele homozygotes. Conclusion: These results suggest that RORA gene polymorphism play a role in seasonal variations in appetite and body weight and is associated with susceptibility to seasonal affective disorder in some degree in the population studied.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2012

Melatonin has been studied as a potential treatment of cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian rhythm sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction and some forms of insomnia. Prolonged release melatonin has shown good results in treating insomnia in older adults. It may ameliorate circadian misalignment and SAD. Basic research indicates that melatonin may play a significant role in modulating the effects of drugs of abuse such as cocaine. A 2004 review found that melatonin significantly increased total sleep time in people suffering from sleep restriction. Therefore, in this study, in order to explain characteristics of melatonin, total energy, net charge, vibrational mode of melatonin are calculated by PM3 methods of HyperCam 6.0.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2007

Objectives: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism has been reported to be associated with depression and therapeutic outcome in depression. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ACE gene polymorphism is associated with seasonal variation in mood and behavior in a young Korean college student sample. Methods: 297 young Korean medical students were recruited in this study. All subjects were free of major medical and psychiatric problems. They were genotyped for the ACE gene polymorphism and evaluated the seasonal variation in mood and behavior by the Seasonality Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Results: Global Seasonality Score (GSS) of SPAQ between three genotypes were not different. However, comparison of the group that showed seasonality of mood and behavior during winter with the group that did not showed seasonality indicated significant difference in genotype distribution ($x^2=6.79$, p=0.034). The D allele non-carrier (ll genotype) frequency was significantly higher in winter seasonality group than non-seasonality group ($x^2=6.59$, p=0.010；odds ratio [OR]=2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-4.28). Conclusion: These results suggest that the ACE gene polymorphism is related to winter-type seasonality in a Korean population.