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PubMed1994

Geographical differences and time trends in the seasonality of birth in Japan.

Seasonal variations of births in six different prefectures in Japan are analysed using Vital Statistics from 1974 to 1983. First births show a bimodal pattern with two peaks, one in winter (December-February) and the other in summer to early autumn (August-September). The seasonality of first births is statistically significantly correlated with the seasonality of marriages with 9 + 12*n (n = 0, 1, 2, 3) lag months. For subsequent births, the seasonal pattern is unimodal and there is also a geographical trend in seasonality of these births with a late spring peak in the northernmost prefecture of Japan giving way to an early autumn peak in the southernmost prefecture. These findings suggest that seasonal variations in marriage play some role in the seasonality of first births, while other features such as environmental factors could be associated with the seasonal variations of subsequent births. Changes in the seasonality of both births and marriages over time suggest that the modernization of Japanese society after the second World War could be responsible for the drastic changes in the pattern and degree of seasonality of births.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

[Seasonal variation of mean birth weight and births in Nagano Prefecture].

Seasonal variation of mean birth weight in Nagano Prefecture was examined by a traditional time series analysis, which decomposes the variation in a series into trend, seasonal variation, other cyclic changes, and remaining irregular fluctuations, based on the data in Vital Statistics from January 1974 to December 1983. The seasonal index of mean birth weight showed a unimodal pattern with a peak in June for males, and a bimodal pattern with peaks in spring and autumn in females with statistical significance. Previous reports have revealed that gestational period is the most important factor associated with birth weight. Therefore, we carried out time series analysis for the mean gestational period and observed an apparent seasonal periodicity, which showed a unimodal pattern with a bottom in winter for both sexes and parities. According to the results of statistical testing of the degree of coincidence between two time series, the time series of mean birth weight and that of mean gestational periods showed statistically significant coincidences in their monthly variations for multiparae. On the other hand, mean birth weight at 40 gestational weeks, which reflects the intrauterine growth, did not show seasonality. These results suggest that seasonality in gestational periods might play an important role in creating seasonal variations of mean birth weight in Nagano Prefecture. The average daily number of births by month also showed apparent seasonalities both for primiparae and multiparae. Primiparae showed a bimodal pattern with peaks in February and August, while multiparae showed a unimodal pattern with a peak in May and a bottom in November. It has been said that the seasonality in marriage is one of important factors associated with seasonal variation in births.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1998

Seasonal increase in specific IgE in serum induced by natural Japanese cedar pollen exposure in asymptomatic and symptomatic sensitized individuals.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the specific IgE response to pollen exposure between asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects who were already sensitized to Japanese cedar pollen. Sixty-four subjects with detectable serum levels of cedar pollen-specific IgE, which were apparent even before the pollen season in 1997, were enrolled in the study. Thirty-five had typical symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis during the pollen season in 1997 (symptomatic group) and the remainder had no seasonal aggravation during the pollen season in 1997 (asymptomatic group). Serum samples were collected twice from each subject, before and during the pollen season in 1997, to determine specific IgE by the lumiward immunoassay system. In both groups, the serum levels of specific IgE during the pollen season were significantly higher than those before the pollen season, and the rates of seasonal increase in specific IgE did not differ significantly between the groups. In conclusion, the specific IgE response during the pollen season is not a hallmark of clinical allergy and does not discriminate between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals sensitive to the pollen.

Allergens↗
PubMed1992

Recurrent brief depression and its relationship to seasonal affective disorder.

Recurrent brief depression (RBD) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have been both recently described as subgroups of major depression (DSM-III-R). We have established a relationship between these two syndromes in a cohort of 42 outpatients who presented themselves to a clinic for seasonal affective disorder at the Psychiatric Department of the University of Bonn, FRG. Our preliminary data indicate that 31% of the patients who were diagnosed as suffering from either SAD or its subsyndromal form (S-SAD) can also be categorized as RBD (RBD-seasonal) in a 1-year observation period. During the time span of 1 year RBD-seasonal patients had a mean number of 20 (SD 9) episodes compared with 6 (SD 5) episodes (P less than 0.001) in the group of seasonal patients without BRD. These episodes were accentuated in fall/winter and outnumbered those in spring/summer significantly (P less than 0.001). The mean duration of each episode was 4.6 (SD 2.6) days in the RBD-seasonal group and 21.8 (SD 29) in the non-RBD-seasonal group. Patients with RBD-seasonal experienced seasonal changes as more of a problem and reported a lower percentage of first-degree relatives with a history of depression than the non-RBD-seasonal group.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Season and location effects on serum and liver mineral concentrations of Senepol cattle on St Croix, Virgin Islands.

Serum and liver concentrations of selected macro- and trace minerals were determined in Senepol cattle at 8 sites (4 each in a high and low rainfall region) during the dry and wet season on St Croix. At each site an average of 15 mature, lactating cows, grazing native grass/legume pastures without supplementation were blood sampled each season. Liver samples were collected (n = 51) at slaughter from mature animals originating from the same sites. A preliminary analysis indicated no differences in serum mineral concentrations between mature lactating cows and growing heifers. There were differences between sites for serum magnesium (Mg) (P < 0.001), copper (Cu) (P < 0.05) selenium (Se) (P < 0.001) and zinc (Zn) (P < 0.01) in the dry season, and for Cu (P < 0.01), iron (Fe) (P < 0.001) and Zn (P < 0.01) in the wet season. Higher (P < 0.001) serum concentrations of Mg, Cu, Fe and Zn were observed in the dry season, while Se was higher (P < 0.01) in the wet season. Liver concentrations of Cu and Fe were lower (P < 0.01) and liver molybdenum (Mo) (P < 0.001) and Se (P < 0.05) higher during the dry season. The seasonal differences in serum Cu, Se and Zn concentrations have not been observed in other studies in the Central American region. More than 50% of serum samples were deficient in phosphorus (P) regardless of season, and in Cu and Zn during the wet season. Mineral supplementation should be considered.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Changes in the pollen seasons of the early flowering trees Alnus spp. and Corylus spp. in Worcester, United Kingdom, 1996-2005.

Previous work on Betula spp. (birch) in the UK and at five sites in Europe has shown that pollen seasons for this taxon have tended to become earlier by about 5-10 days per decade in most regions investigated over the last 30 years. This pattern has been linked to the trend to warmer winters and springs in recent years. However, little work has been done to investigate the changes in the pollen seasons for the early flowering trees. Several of these, such as Alnus spp. and Corylus spp., have allergens, which cross-react with those of Betula spp., and so have a priming effect on allergic people. This paper investigates pollen seasons for Alnus spp. and Corylus spp. for the years 1996-2005 at Worcester, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. Pollen data for daily average counts were collected using a Burkard volumetric trap sited on the exposed roof of a three-story building. The climate is western maritime. Meteorological data for daily temperatures (maximum and minimum) and rainfall were obtained from the local monitoring sites. The local area up to approximately 10 km surrounding the site is mostly level terrain with some undulating hills and valleys. The local vegetation is mixed farmland and deciduous woodland. The pollen seasons for the two taxa investigated are typically late December or early January to late March. Various ways of defining the start and end of the pollen seasons were considered for these taxa, but the most useful was the 1% method whereby the season is deemed to have started when 1% of the total catch is achieved and to have ended when 99% is reached. The cumulative catches (in grains/m(3)) for Alnus spp. varied from 698 (2001) to 3,467 (2004). For Corylus spp., they varied from 65 (2001) to 4,933 (2004). The start dates for Alnus spp. showed 39 days difference in the 10 years (earliest 2000 day 21, latest 1996 day 60). The end dates differed by 26 days and the length of season differed by 15 days. The last 4 years in the set had notably higher cumulative counts than the first 2, but there was no trend towards earlier starts. For Corylus spp. start days also differed by 39 days (earliest 1999 day 5, latest 1996 day 44). The end date differed by 35 days and length of season by 26 days. Cumulative counts and lengths of season showed a distinct pattern of alternative high (long) and low (short) years. There is some evidence of a synchronous pattern for Alnus spp.. These patterns show some significant correlations with temperature and rainfall through the autumn, winter and early spring, and some relationships with growth degree 4s and chill units, but the series is too short to discern trends. The analysis has provided insight to the variation in the seasons for these early flowering trees and will form a basis for future work on building predictive models for these taxa.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed2006

Seasonality of symptoms in women with postpartum depression.

It is important to consider the potential contribution of seasonality to postpartum depression (PPD; Hiltunen et al, 2004). A possible link between seasonality and PPD may have implications for not only choice of treatment, but also in considering pregnancy planning. The objectives of this pilot study were to examine whether women with seasonal mood changes demonstrated greater incidence of PPD, and to determine if seasonality scores were predictive of PPD. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ; Rosenthal et al, 1987) was used to assess seasonality of mood. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between clinical factors, SAD diagnosis, SPAQ global seasonality score (GSS) and season of SPAQ administration and PPD. In our sample, twice as many women in the PPD group were found to have SAD compared to the control group. The PPD group also had a higher group GSS mean (10.44) than did the control group (8.84). However, logistic regression analysis showed that higher seasonality scores in women with PPD were not necessarily predictive of PPD. While more women in the PPD group reported increased seasonal weight fluctuation and less sleep in the spring and summer, these items alone did not predict depression after childbirth.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effects of testosterone manipulations on nonbreeding season territorial aggression in free-living male lizards, Sceloporus jarrovi.

Seasonal changes in testosterone levels in male mountain spiny lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi) are correlated tightly with seasonal changes in intensity of aggressive territorial defense. Testosterone levels are lowest in the winter when males aggregate, are moderately elevated during the summer when males show low-intensity territorial defense, and are highest during the fall breeding season when males show high-intensity territorial defense. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that changes in testosterone levels cause these seasonal changes in territorial behavior. We experimentally increased and decreased circulating testosterone levels in free-living males during the summer, when they display non-breeding season territoriality. Artificially increasing testosterone levels to levels equivalent to the breeding season significantly increased some, but not all, measures of territorial aggression. Levels of aggression attained, however, were still well below those typical of breeding season males. This implies that the transition to full breeding season levels of aggression is caused only partly by an increase in testosterone levels. Castration of males during the summer had no effect on several measures of territorial aggression. Thus the activation of nonbreeding season territoriality, which precedes testicular recrudescence by several months, is relatively unaffected by testosterone levels. Taken together these results suggest that the same behavior, in this case territorial aggression, may be controlled by different mechanisms in different seasons.

Aggression↗
PubMed2006

Seasonal variation in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in south-east Sweden.

With the aim to survey the seasonal pattern of diagnosis of type 1 diabetes we included all 1903 children <16 years of age and who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes between 1977 and 2001 in the south-east of Sweden. To investigate the seasonal pattern a mixture of two cosine functions was included in a logistic regression model. There was a clear seasonal variation over the years (p<0.001). Children in the oldest age group (11-15 years) showed the most obvious seasonal variation (p<0.001). Children with a short duration of symptoms had about the same seasonal variation as children with a long duration. Both children with and without an infection 3 months prior to diagnosis showed significant seasonal variation (p<0.001) although the seasonal pattern differed between the two groups (p<0.001). As the incidence of diabetes increased during the 25 years the study period was divided into periods of 5 years and it was only during the two last periods that significant seasonal variation occurred. There is a clear seasonal variation in diagnosis of type 1 diagnosis in children and the results suggest that children with a less aggressive disease process at diagnosis were most responsible for this variation. Children with and without prior infection showed a different seasonal pattern.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Seasonal fluctuations in birth weight and neonatal limb length; does prenatal vitamin D influence neonatal size and shape?

BACKGROUND: Birth weight is known to fluctuate with season of birth, however, there is little information about seasonal variation in neonatal anthropometric measures. AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine seasonal fluctuations in birth weight and selected anthropometric measures. STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The birth weight of singletons born after at least 37 weeks gestation was extracted from a perinatal register in south-east Queensland (n=350,171). Mean monthly birth weights for this period were examined. Based on a separate birth cohort, principal component analysis was undertaken on neonatal anthropometric measures (n=1233). Seasonality was assessed by (a) spectral analysis of time series data, (b) monthly and seasonal comparison of outcomes. RESULTS: Based on register data, birth weight displayed clear annual periodicity. Birth weight differed significantly when compared by month and season. Infants born in October were the heaviest (3484 g), while May-born infants were the lightest (3459 g; P=0.001). Based on the cohort anthropometric data, three components were identified related to (a) overall size, (b) limb length, and (c) head size and skin-fold thickness. Each of these components displayed significant seasonal variation. In particular, prominent seasonal fluctuations in limb length were identified, with peak limb length associated with winter/spring birth. CONCLUSION: Environmental factors that have regular seasonal fluctuation influence both the size and shape of neonates. Animal experiments suggest that prenatal hypovitaminosis D may underlie greater limb length. Because birth weight and limb length are associated with a broad range of important health outcomes, the seasonal exposures underlying these effects warrant further scrutiny from a public health perspective.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2004

A comparison of seasonal variation between suicide deaths and attempts in Hong Kong SAR.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal variations in suicide deaths and attempted suicides have been reported for many countries. Recent research has suggested that seasonal patterns of suicide deaths have diminished considerably. The seasonality pattern between attempts and completed ones are not the same. This paper is the first one to examine seasonal variation between suicide deaths and attempts simultaneously. METHOD: Census and Statistics Department and the Hospital Authority provided mortality and morbidity data on suicides for the period 1997-2001 in Hong Kong SAR, respectively. Seasonal patterns of suicide deaths and attempts were examined by a harmonic analysis and a non-parametric chi-square test. RESULTS: A significant seasonal variation was detected in suicide attempts with a markedly bi-seasonal pattern was found amongst females with a peak in May and October; only a cyclic pattern was observed for males with a peak in summer. The female attempters who used non-violent suicide methods contributed to the second peak in October. On the other hand, there was no evidence of significant differences in the seasonal distribution among the suicide deaths for males and females. Only a mild pattern was found amongst females involving in violent suicide deaths, while others can be treated as a random event and no significantly pattern was observed in our study. Overall, a significant difference in seasonal variation existed between suicide deaths and attempts (p-value<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the findings that seasonal variation in suicide appears to be diminishing. Also, suicide attempters and completed suicides in Hong Kong seem to arise from two non-identical but overlapping groups in the community.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Seasonal first flush phenomenon of urban stormwater discharges.

California's climate, typified by winter and spring precipitation and summer drought, is often called a Mediterranean climate, and creates a long period for pollutant build-up. The initial storms of the winter season usually have higher pollutant concentrations, which is called a seasonal first flush. To investigate the existence of a seasonal first flush, we analyzed four major data sets, collected over the 1999-2000 to 2002-2003 wet seasons. Trends in seasonal loads were quantified by plotting pollutant concentrations or cumulative pollutant load versus cumulative rainfall or cumulative runoff volume. Pollutant concentrations in the first part of the wet season were ranged from 1.2 to 20 times higher than concentrations near the end of the season, and mass emission rates were similarly higher at the beginning of the season. A seasonal first flush existed for most cases and was strongest for organics, minerals and heavy metals except lead. This result suggests that applying treatment Best Management Practices (BMPs) early in the season could remove several times more pollutant mass than randomly timed or uniformly applied BMPs.

California↗
PubMed1998

Seasonal affective disorder: report from India (latitude 26 degrees 45'N).

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have established the entity of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and delineated the presence of atypical depressive features of carbohydrate craving, hyperphagia and hypersomnia. Most literature has emanated from research carried out in temperate climates, and only few reports are available from tropical countries, especially India. METHODS: Consecutive patients with recurrent mood disorder (who had at least 2 episodes of depression in the past) comprised the study sample. The diagnosis of mood disorder was made according to DSM-III-R criteria. The sample was divided into two groups - seasonal and non-seasonal according to the DSM-III-R criteria of seasonal pattern. The depressed patients were rated on SADD and HDRS, and manic patients on BRMRS. RESULTS: Eighteen of 93 patients fulfilled the criteria of seasonal pattern; 7 of these seasonal patients, and 25 of the non-seasonal patients were currently in depressive phase. Males dominated the sample in both the groups. The seasonal and non-seasonal groups as regards symptomatology, differed only on a few items - decreased libido on SADD, and suicidal ideation and helplessness on HDRS. Atypical vegetative features were not seen in any of the seasonal patients. CONCLUSIONS: SAD is seen at lower latitudes also, although atypical vegetative features are not a prominent part of the symptomatology. LIMITATIONS: The study sampled was obtained from a very select population, and thus does not indicate the prevalence of SAD in India. Secondly, the small sample size precludes any categorical comments of the symptomatology. Moreover, winter and summer depressives were considered as one group. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Emphasising the presence of SAD in a tropical country where there is relatively less variation in daylight periods, this report forms a base for future studies. It also raises the question of the role of variations in daylight in the aetiology SAD.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Gene-environment interaction in psychiatric disorders as indicated by season of birth variations in tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine receptor (DRD4) gene polymorphisms.

Genetic and environmental factors, as well as their interactions, are likely to be involved in psychiatric disorders. Considerable progress has been made in association and linkage studies with various candidate genes, at times with conflicting or ambiguous results. An environmental factor that has persistently shown associations with several psychiatric and neurological disorders is the season of birth. If it is the interaction of a specific gene allele with a specific season of birth that constitutes an increased (or decreased) risk for a disorder, then the individuals with this disorder are likely to have a season of birth variation in this gene allele. We investigated the variations in TPH, 5-HTTLPR and DRD4 gene polymorphisms according to seasonality of birth in 954 patients with unipolar affective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, and schizophrenia, respectively, and in 395 controls. We first analyzed season of birth variations in the gene alleles with one cycle or two cycles per year, and then compared specified birth seasons with each other. We found season of birth variations in these gene alleles that were different for different psychiatric disorders. Significant differences between cases and controls could be obtained when restricting the analysis within certain birth seasons but not within others. Our results thus suggest an interaction between the seasons of birth and the expression of the candidate genes, and that season of birth is a confounding variable when investigating the role of the candidate genes in susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Influence of bull biostimulation, season and parity on resumption of ovarian activity of zebu (Bos indicus) cattle following parturition.

A total of 135 postpartum suckled zebu cows were assigned randomly at calving to two treatments: cows exposed to vasectomised bulls (Mature Bull Exposure, MBE) and cows not exposed to bulls (No Bull Exposure, NBE) for a period of 150 days postpartum. This study was conducted to determine the influence of bull biostimulation, season and parity on postpartum reproductive performance of Bos indicus cattle. The trials were conducted in two seasons: cows calving in the dry season and cows calving in the rainy season. Cows with an increase in serum progesterone (P(4)) concentration of >1 ng/ml from the weekly blood samples were used to analyse the number of days from calving to the time of resumption of ovarian activity. The introduction of vasectomised bulls shortened the postpartum anoestrus in cattle following calving. Mean interval from calving to resumption of ovarian activity for the MBE cows was 71.7 days, which was significantly earlier following calving than the NBE cows with a duration of 77.8 days. By 60 to 80 days postpartum, the proportion of cows at resumption of postpartum activity for MBE cows was greater than for the NBE cows. Mean interval from calving to resumption of ovarian activity for cows that calved in the dry season was 71.3 days, which was significantly earlier than for cows that calved in the rainy season (78.6 days). At 60 days postpartum, the proportion of cows at resumption of postpartum ovarin activity for cows that calved in the dry season was greater than the cows that calved in the rainy season. Mean interval from parturition to resumption of ovarian activity for cows with three to five calvings was 65.1 days, which was significantly earlier than the value of 71. 2 days for cows with one to two calvings. By 60 to 80 days postpartum, the proportion of cows at onset of ovarian activity for cows with three to five calvings was greater than those cows with one to two calvings. Cows that calved in the dry season completed uterine involution by 24.4 days, which was significantly shorter than the duration of 26.5 days for cows that calved in the rainy season. Cows with three to five calvings completed uterine involution earlier than those with one to two calvings. It is concluded that bull-cow biostimulation influences reproductive activity in the cow possibly through olfactory cues (pheromones).

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Season affects characteristics of the pre-ovulatory LH surge and embryo viability in superovulated ewes.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are seasonal shifts in ovulatory response, and in the viability of ova recovered from superovulated ewes. Fifty mature ewes underwent a standard oestrous synchronisation (CIDR), superovulation (oFSH) and artificial insemination procedure during October (peak breeding season) and April (transition to anoestrus). In each month peripheral LH and progesterone concentrations were measured around the time of ovulation and embryos were recovered, graded and cryopreserved on day 6 after insemination. During the subsequent breeding season, grade 1 and 2 morulae and unexpanded blastocysts were thawed and transferred singly to synchronous recipients (October, n = 40; April, n = 40) or cultured in vitro for 18-20 h (October, n = 107; April, n = 98). Following culture, viable embryos were stained to count cell nuclei or assayed to measure their capacity for glucose metabolism ([3H]glucose) and protein synthesis ([35S]methionine). Peak LH concentrations were higher in October than in April (38.2 +/- 3.26 ng ml(-1) versus 25.7 +/- 1.99 ng ml(-1), respectively; P < 0.01) and the pre-ovulatory LH surge was advanced by approximately 3 h (P < 0.05). Progesterone concentrations at CIDR withdrawal were lower in October than in April (3.1 +/- 0.16 ng ml(-1) versus 4.3 +/- 0.19 ng ml(-1), respectively; P < 0.001) but were not different at embryo recovery. Season did not affect the numbers of corpora lutea per ewe or the numbers of ova recovered but the proportion of recovered ova that was unfertilised/degenerate was lower in October than in April (0.43 versus 0.58, respectively; P < 0.001). For embryos containing more than 16 cells, there was no effect of season on the median stage of development or morphological grade. The proportions of October and April embryos that established pregnancy following transfer to recipient ewes were 0.78 and 0.70 (not significantly different), and that were viable after in vitro culture were 0.66 and 0.37 (P < 0.05), respectively. Season did not affect the number of nuclei per viable embryo or the capacity for protein synthesis but the glucose uptake of October embryos was approximately double that of April embryos (3163+/-293.4 dpm versus 1550+/-358.9 dpm, respectively; P < 0.05). Results indicate that during the late compared to peak breeding season, there is an increased incidence of fertilisation failure as a possible consequence of seasonal shifts in LH secretion and (or) associated effects on follicular function. Frozen-thawed embryos produced at contrasting stages of the breeding season are equally viable in vivo but those produced during the late, as opposed to the peak breeding season have lower viability following in vitro culture.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Seasonal variation in food allergy to apple.

The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of a seasonal variation in reactivity to apples in 27 birch pollen allergic patients. Before and during the birch pollen season 1998, the patients were subjected to double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs) with grated fresh Golden Delicious apple followed by an open food challenge with whole fresh apple. The clinical reactions elicited during the challenges were evaluated both by the patients and the investigators. Moreover, the skin reactivity and the in vitro reactivity to apple were evaluated by skin prick test (SPT), leukocyte histamine release (HR), measurement of specific IgE, and immunoblotting experiments. The sensitivity of the DBPCFC, when compared with the result of the open challenge, was 0.74 (14/19) before the season and 0.80 (16/20) during the season. None of the patients reacted to the blinded challenge without a subsequent reaction to the open challenge. One placebo reaction was registered both before and in season, but not in the same patient. The patient scores of the first positive challenges, and the maximal scores of each combined blinded and open challenge session, were significantly increased during the pollen season (P<0.05). The scores of the open challenge were significantly higher than the scores of the DBPCFC both before the season and during the in-season challenges (P<0.05). Specific IgE against Golden Delicious increased during season (P<0.05), while neither SPT, HR, nor immunoblotting experiments could confirm an increase in reactivity. In conclusion, the results of the oral challenge tests indicated an increase in clinical reactivity to apples during the birch pollen season in birch pollen allergic individuals.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2002

Seasonal affective disorder in an Arctic community.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of seasonal-pattern depression in an Inuit community above 70 degrees N. METHOD: One-hundred and eleven people from randomly selected households were surveyed for depression and anxiety and the effect of the seasons on their mood. Eighty-eight people provided replies on the influence of the seasons. RESULTS: One in five (22.6%) of the community sample was found to be depressed. Of these, seven (6.3%) had seasonal affective disorder (SAD), with fall onset occurring in six of these (5.4%). Subsyndromal SAD (SSAD) occurred in 11.7%, while any effect of the seasons (seasonality) occurred in 39.6%. Persons with SSAD and seasonality were significantly older than those unaffected by the seasonal effect. No other significant correlation of SAD, SSAD, or seasonality occurred with gender, age, and language preference. CONCLUSION: Seasonal mood changes in this Inuit group living in the Canadian Arctic are elevated above the rates found in other studies using similar survey methods.

Adolescent↗