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Neuroimaging in Seasons and Winter Depression

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PET and SPECT in Psychiatry

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Abstract

Seasonal fluctuations in mood, behaviour, energy level and appetite are common in humans living in temperate and polar zones. These changes are not necessarily associated with clinical symptoms; however, some people regularly experience severe changes in mood and drive during the dark season. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is regarded as an extreme reaction to changes in environmental light. The underlying mechanism of these seasonal changes and the pathobiology of SAD still remain unclear. However, several lines of evidence suggest a key role of monoamines in modulating seasonal fluctuations in animals and humans. Here, we review the literature on neuroimaging including MRI, SPECT and PET in SAD. Furthermore, the effects of season on the monoamine neurotransmitter systems serotonin and dopamine are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, Vienna, Austria

    Irena Dajić, Nicole Praschak-Rieder, Rupert Lanzenberger, Christoph Spindelegger, Siegfried Kasper & Matthäus Willeit

  2. Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, Vienna, Austria

    Siegfried Kasper

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  1. Irena Dajić
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  2. Nicole Praschak-Rieder
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  3. Rupert Lanzenberger
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  4. Christoph Spindelegger
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  5. Siegfried Kasper
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  6. Matthäus Willeit
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Correspondence to Siegfried Kasper .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Rudi A.J.O. Dierckx

  2. Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Medical Engineering and Computer Science, Offenburg University, Offenburg, Germany

    Andreas Otte

  3. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Erik F. J. de Vries

  4. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Aren van Waarde

  5. Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Iris E. Sommer

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Dajić, I., Praschak-Rieder, N., Lanzenberger, R., Spindelegger, C., Kasper, S., Willeit, M. (2021). Neuroimaging in Seasons and Winter Depression. In: Dierckx, R.A., Otte, A., de Vries, E.F.J., van Waarde, A., Sommer, I.E. (eds) PET and SPECT in Psychiatry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57231-0_6

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