The Wolverine Wake-Up Issue 73

It’s dark when you leave for work and dark when you get home, so how are you going to get your daily dose of natural sunshine? And if you don’t think less sunlight during winter months can affect you, your mood, or your energy levels, think again. A decrease in sunlight can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythms, and cause a drop in serotonin levels and vitamin D levels, which can lead to depressive symptoms. If you have the flexibility and the weather allows for it, schedule in an early-morning walk or lunchtime stroll. If you don’t, consider this option, which is especially beneficial for people with full-fledged seasonal depression: a full-spectrum light box. Light therapy can help regulate your body’s circadian rhythms and its natural release of the hormones that help you feel energized and the ones that help you sleep. Gollan cautions that these are actually pretty powerful tools (and pricey!), so you really should work with a doctor or mental health professional who can advise you on when during the day to use it, and for how long.

-Carson

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore are the first to conduct a rigorous study on the subject.Nearly 550 adults in Maryland and Pennsylvania with electronic health records were enrolled in the study. Participants had at least one weight and height measurement registered in the two years prior to the study's enrollment period (Feb-July 2019). Study examined the association between time from the first meal to the last meal and weight change.The average age was 51 years; the average body mass index was 30.8, which is considered obese. The average follow-up time for weight recorded in the electronic health record was 6.3 years. Overall, most participants (80%) reported they were white adults; 12% self-reported as Black adults.People with a higher body mass index were more likely to be Black adults, older and have Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. People with a lower education level, exercise less and eat fewer fruits and vegetables had a shorter duration from last mealtime to sleep, according to the study.Study participants were asked to catalog their sleep, eating and wake-up times for each 24-hour period in real time as part of a six-month intervention. This article was written by Di Zhao, Eliseo Guallar, Thomas B. Woolf, Lindsay Martin, Harold Lehmann, Janelle Coughlin, Katherine Holzhauer, Attia A. Goheer, Kathleen M. McTigue, Michelle R. Lent, Marquis Hawkins, Jeanne M. Clark, and Wendy L. Bennett.

-Oliver

People who are more inhibited in early childhood are more vulnerable to developing depression later in life. The study tracked a cohort of 165 individuals from 4 months old, through age 26. Results could inform the development of prevention-oriented treatments tailored to the individual. Some participants showed a blunted response in this brain region in reaction to potential monetary rewards. Anxiety and depression are complex conditions that could be set off by a multitude of factors. Researchers studied children who showed blunted activity in the ventral striatum as adolescents. These inhibited youths were more likely to become depressed in young adulthood. Future studies could examine the efficacy of programs that target maladaptive reward processing among anxious youths. There are already interventions for socially anxious and behaviorally inhibited children that improve social and cognitive skills

-Leatta