Citation

Mukai M, Uchimura N, Hirano T, Ohshima H, Ohshima M, Nakamura J. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 1998; 52(2): 238-240.

Affiliation

Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1440-1819.1998.tb01051.x

PMID

9628172

Abstract

We investigated the circadian rhythm of hormones (cortisol, melatonin) in alcoholic patients during and 1 month after alcohol withdrawal. Patients with delirium tremens had irregular serum hormone concentration rhythms during withdrawal, which normalized after the withdrawal period. Patients without delirium tremens had normal circadian rhythms even during the withdrawal period. We speculated that the disturbance of the biological oscillator, in terms of the decline of synchronizing function or the decrease in synchronizing factors, caused abnormal circadian rhythms of hormone release during delirium tremens.

Language: en