
Winter-over syndrome
Encyclopedia
The winter-over syndrome is observed in inhabitants of research stations in Antarctica who "winter-over" throughout the Antarctic winter. It consists of a variety of behavioral and medical disturbances, including irritability
. depression
, insomnia
and cognitive impairment.
Possible contributing causes of winter-over syndrome include stress
, social isolation
, subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder and polar T3 syndrome
.
Irritability
Irritability is an excessive response to stimuli. The term is used for both the physiological reaction to stimuli and for the pathological, abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli; It is usually used to refer to anger or frustration....
. depression
Depression
Depression or depress may refer to:-Medicine:* Depression , a state of low mood and aversion to activity** Mood disorder, a class of mental illnesses featuring depressed mood...
, insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
and cognitive impairment.
Possible contributing causes of winter-over syndrome include stress
Stress
- Mechanical :* Stress , the average amount of force exerted per unit area* Compressive stress, the stress applied to materials resulting in their compaction...
, social isolation
Social isolation
Social isolation refers to a lack of contact with society for members of social species. There may be many causes and individuals in numerous generally social species are isolated at times, it need not be a pathological condition. In human society, in those cases where it is viewed as a pathology,...
, subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder and polar T3 syndrome
Polar T3 syndrome
Polar T3 syndrome is a condition found in polar explorers, caused by a reduction in levels of the thyroid hormone T3. Its effects include forgetfulness, cognitive impairment and mood disturbances. It can exhibit itself in a fugue state known as the "Antarctic stare".It is regarded as one of the...
.