Circadian Rhythms of Water and Electrolyte Excretion in Manic-Depressive Psychosis

Abstract

In recent years there has been growing interest in the subject of circadian rhythms of various metabolic processes in manic-depressive psychosis. This has been prompted in part by the cyclic self-limiting course of the condition itself as well as by such characteristic changes in its clinical manifestation over the twenty-four-hour period as mood variation, disturbed sleep pattern with early morning wakening, and impaired appetite, which Pollitt (1965) has attributed to a primary change in hypothalamic function. Alterations in the circadian rhythms of plasma corticosteroids, urinary corticosteroid excretion (Bridges and Jones, 1966; Curtis et al., 1966; Knapp et al., 1967; McClure, 1966), salivary flow and salivary electrolyte excretion (Jenner et al., 1967; Palmai and Blackwell, 1965) have been reported.