Study: Body Clock Rhythm Affects How Well Antidepressants Work
An Australian study suggests that nearly a quarter of people with depression have a form of the illness tied to circadian rhythm disruption. Standard antidepressants help such patients less.
A new scientific study indicates that disruptions of the body clock, or circadian rhythms, may explain why depression in some people does not respond to standard treatment. Researchers found that almost a quarter of depression patients have a distinct form of the illness directly linked to such disturbances. The findings were published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.
How the study was done
To reach this conclusion, the scientists analysed genetic data and health information from more than 11,000 people in Australia.
What was found
Patients whose depression is driven by biological rhythm disruption fall ill at a younger age and experience the illness more severely. Because of genetic predisposition, they are also at higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a high body mass index and insulin resistance.
The main conclusion is that ordinary antidepressants help these patients to a lesser degree. They also more often experience side effects from the medication, such as weight gain, nausea and drowsiness. According to the researchers, the illness is triggered by a shift in the biological rhythm. Since regular antidepressants do not regulate a person's body clock and sleep cycles, they cannot fully help when the rhythm is disturbed.
A different approach
The body clock of these patients and their everyday routine simply run on different rhythms, so they need another approach. Methods that directly regulate sleep and wake cycles help, for example light therapy at a specific time of day or melatonin.
The source notes that going to bed late, waking up tired and feeling worse in the dark months of the year may suggest a later-running body clock.
