Biological Rhythms, Mood Disorders, Light Therapy, and the Pineal Gland

Mohammad Shafii, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. Sharon L. Shafii, R.N., B.S.N., is Editor-in-Residence in Louisville, Kentucky. Ms. Shafii was formerly Assistant Head Nurse in the Adolescent Service at the Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of Michigan Medical Center, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Comparative Morphology and Physiology of the Pineal Gland. Comparative morphology of the pineal gland. Pineal rhythmicity: neural, behavioral, and endocrine consequences. The Pineal Gland and Mood Disorders in Adults, Adolescents, and Children. Melatonin as a marker for a subgroup of depression in adults. The pineal gland and depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Melatonin and circadian rhythms in bipolar mood disorders. Light Therapy and the Pineal Gland. Bright light, melatonin, and winter depression: the phase-shift hypothesis. Melatonin, light therapy, and premenstrual syndrome. Melatonin rhythm disturbances in mood disorders and sleep.