You may be a man for all seasons, but your temperament is dictated by your birth season. A recent study has found that the risk of developing mood disorders is impacted by the season in which you are born, reported IANS. Too hot to handle, isn’t it?
The research, recently presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress in Germany, suggests that people born at certain times of year may have a greater chance of developing certain types of temperaments. This, in turn, could lead to mood disorders (affective disorders).
The study has been helmed by Xenia Gonda, an associate professor at the department of clinical and theoretical mental health at Semmelweis University in Budapest. “Biochemical studies have shown that the season in which you are born has an influence on certain monoamine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which is detectable even in adult life,” said Gonda. “This led us to believe that birth season may have a longer-lasting effect,” she added.
The research team looked at over 400 participants and matched their birth season to personality types in later life. They found that cyclothymic temperament, characterised by rapid, frequent swings between sad and cheerful moods, is significantly high in those born during summer in comparison with those born in winter. “Hyperthymic-temperament, a tendency to be excessively positive, was significantly higher in those born in spring and summer,” Gonda added.
Those born during winter were significantly less prone to irritable temperament than those born at other times of the year. The ones born in autumn showed a significantly lower tendency to depressive temperament than those born during winter, researchers noted.
“Basically, it seems that when you are born may increase or decrease your chance of developing certain mood disorders. We can’t say anything about the mechanisms involved, yet. What we are now looking at is to see if there are genetic markers that are related to the season of birth and mood disorders,” stated Gonda, according to medicalnewstoday.com.
“Temperaments are not disorders, but biologically-driven behavioural and emotional trends. Although both genetic and environmental factors are involved in one’s temperament, now we know that the season at birth plays a role too,” commented Professor Eduard Vieta from ECNP.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2014.
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