EPiC SAD study: Environmental, physiological, and cognitive risk factors for seasonal affective disorder
About the project
Prevalence estimates of seasonal affective disorder in Iceland from the 90s were comparably low at 3.8%. Prior research suggests that risk factors for SAD are young age, evening chronotype, reduced physical activity, cognitive vulnerabilities, and specific neurophysiological patterns of brain activity. In addition, air pollution was found to induce depression and air pollution undergoes regional and seasonal fluctuations. So far, the interaction of these factors has not been examined and air pollution has been ignored.
We propose
- To estimate the current prevalence of seasonal mood fluctuations and SAD in Iceland.
- To evaluate the relative contribution of risk factors.
- To build a prediction model for SAD based on these factors.
We will survey seasonal changes in a random sample of N=5000 Icelanders and invite those scoring high in seasonality for an interview in summer and winter to obtain a clinical diagnosis of SAD.
In N=100 participants with a clinical diagnosis and a matched control group we will conduct 4 follow-ups in each season, during which we will record EEG activity at rest and during an emotional memory task; we will examine chronotype, cognitive vulnerabilities, nutrition, health-related quality of life, physical activity, sleep quality, daily fluctuations of mood and individual exposure to air pollution. Seasonal variability of all measures will be studied, and we will build a prediction model for early identification of the at-risk population.
This project is funded by the Icelandic Research Fund (appl. Nr. 228739-051/ 2106-0364).
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Members
- Yvonne Höller, Professor at the Faculty of Psychology - University of Akureyri
- Lada Zelinski, Doctoral student at the Faculty of Psychology - University of Akureyri
- Ragnar P. Ólafsson, Professor at the Faculty of Psychology - University of Iceland
- Richard Eirikur Tähtinen, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Psychology - University of Akureyri
- Gislí Kort Kristófersson, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology - University of Akureyri
Students: Angantýr Ómar Ásgeirsson, Angelina Brigitte Carlucci, Anna Kristrún Sigurpálsdóttir, Ara Dan Pálmadóttir, Ásta Guðrún Birgisdóttir, Dagný Theódórsdóttir, Gestur Vagn Baldursson, Harpa Hlin Gunnarsdóttir, Helgi Brynjólfsson, Hilde Björk Didriksen Smith, og Marín Rut Bech Ingadóttir eru nemendur sem munu vinna ritgerðir sínar innan verkefnisins.
Collaborators
- Prof. Laura Astolfi, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Univ.-Doz. Dr. Arnulf Hartl, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Arne Bathke, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria
- Prof. Dr. Markus Pauly, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany
- PD Dr. rer.nat. Jürgen Fell, University Clinic Bonn, Germany
News
Publications
- Theódórsdóttir, D.; Höller, Y. EEG-Correlates of Emotional Memory and Seasonal Symptoms. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 9361.
- Theódórsdóttir, D.; Höller, Y. Emotional Bias among Individuals at Risk for Seasonal Affective Disorder—An EEG Study during Remission in Summer. Brain Sci. 2024, 14, 2.
- Anna Kristrún Sigurpálsdóttir. Air pollution and mental health: the relation between particulate matter, seasonality and depression.
- Alexandra Dögg Viðarsdóttir Berndsen and Elísabet María Björnsdóttir. Activity levels and SAD: does exercise correlate with experience of seasonal mood fluctuations?
- Angantýr Ómar Ásgeirsson and Gestur Vagn Baldursson. The relation between shift work and seasonality in Iceland: do shift workers and fishermen report more seasonality than daytime workers?