The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data
Background and objectives: The evaluation of the severity of patients afflicted with major mental illness (MMI) has been problematic because of confounding variables and genetic variability. There have been multiple studies that suggest several human diseases, especially schizophrenia, are predispos...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844022004856 |
| _version_ | 1798022714102906880 |
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| author | George E. Davis, Jr. Matthew J. Davis Walter E. Lowell |
| author_facet | George E. Davis, Jr. Matthew J. Davis Walter E. Lowell |
| author_sort | George E. Davis, Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectives: The evaluation of the severity of patients afflicted with major mental illness (MMI) has been problematic because of confounding variables and genetic variability. There have been multiple studies that suggest several human diseases, especially schizophrenia, are predisposed to be born in certain months or seasons. This observation implied an epigenetic effect of sunlight, likely ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is damaging to DNA, especially in an embryo. This paper outlines a method to evaluate the severity of schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), and schizoaffective disorder (SZ-AFF) using the month/year of birth of those affected compared to the month/year of birth of the general population (GP). Relevance: Our previous research found that more intense UVR (equal to or greater than 90 sunspot number (SSN)) had a negative effect on the average human lifespan. Also, human birth rates vary in frequency by month of birth reflecting variables like availability of food, sunlight, and other unknown epigenetic factors. We wanted to see if the patient month of birth varied from the average birth months of the general population and if UVR has an epigenetic effect promoting these diseases. Methods: We obtained the month and year of birth of 1,233 patients admitted over a 15-year period to Maine's largest state psychiatric hospital and counted the months of birth for each diagnosis of SZ, BPD, and SZ-AFF, and compared these results to the general population's birth months of 4,265,555 persons from U. S. Census Year 2006. The number of patients in each month was normalized to August and compared with the normalized birth months of the general population (GP). Plots of the normalized months were considered rates of change (e.g., derivatives) and their respective integrals gave domains of each mental illness relative to the GP. Normalizing the GP to unity was then related to the factor 1.28, e.g., 28% more entropy, deduced from the Sun's fractal dimension imprinted on biological organisms. Results: The percent of patients meeting our criterion for severity: SZ = 27%; BPD = 26%; SZ-AFF = 100%. Conclusions: High UVR intensity or a rapid increase in UVR in early gestation are likely epigenetic triggers of major mental illness. BPD is more epigenetically affected than SZ or SZ-AFF disorders. We found that 52% of 1,233 patients comprised the core function of a tertiary-care psychiatric hospital. Also, mental illness exacerbated when the median SSN doubled. This work also validates the Kraeplinian dichotomy. What is new in this research: This paper offers a new paradigm for evaluating the severity of MMI and supports significant epigenetic effects from UVR. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:34:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62be38661d254d0b8790689ab9c9ed5f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T17:34:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-62be38661d254d0b8790689ab9c9ed5f2022-12-22T04:11:39ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402022-03-0183e09197The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot dataGeorge E. Davis, Jr.0Matthew J. Davis1Walter E. Lowell2Corresponding author.; Riverview Psychiatric Center, 250 Arsenal Street, State House Station #11, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0011, USARiverview Psychiatric Center, 250 Arsenal Street, State House Station #11, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0011, USARiverview Psychiatric Center, 250 Arsenal Street, State House Station #11, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0011, USABackground and objectives: The evaluation of the severity of patients afflicted with major mental illness (MMI) has been problematic because of confounding variables and genetic variability. There have been multiple studies that suggest several human diseases, especially schizophrenia, are predisposed to be born in certain months or seasons. This observation implied an epigenetic effect of sunlight, likely ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is damaging to DNA, especially in an embryo. This paper outlines a method to evaluate the severity of schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), and schizoaffective disorder (SZ-AFF) using the month/year of birth of those affected compared to the month/year of birth of the general population (GP). Relevance: Our previous research found that more intense UVR (equal to or greater than 90 sunspot number (SSN)) had a negative effect on the average human lifespan. Also, human birth rates vary in frequency by month of birth reflecting variables like availability of food, sunlight, and other unknown epigenetic factors. We wanted to see if the patient month of birth varied from the average birth months of the general population and if UVR has an epigenetic effect promoting these diseases. Methods: We obtained the month and year of birth of 1,233 patients admitted over a 15-year period to Maine's largest state psychiatric hospital and counted the months of birth for each diagnosis of SZ, BPD, and SZ-AFF, and compared these results to the general population's birth months of 4,265,555 persons from U. S. Census Year 2006. The number of patients in each month was normalized to August and compared with the normalized birth months of the general population (GP). Plots of the normalized months were considered rates of change (e.g., derivatives) and their respective integrals gave domains of each mental illness relative to the GP. Normalizing the GP to unity was then related to the factor 1.28, e.g., 28% more entropy, deduced from the Sun's fractal dimension imprinted on biological organisms. Results: The percent of patients meeting our criterion for severity: SZ = 27%; BPD = 26%; SZ-AFF = 100%. Conclusions: High UVR intensity or a rapid increase in UVR in early gestation are likely epigenetic triggers of major mental illness. BPD is more epigenetically affected than SZ or SZ-AFF disorders. We found that 52% of 1,233 patients comprised the core function of a tertiary-care psychiatric hospital. Also, mental illness exacerbated when the median SSN doubled. This work also validates the Kraeplinian dichotomy. What is new in this research: This paper offers a new paradigm for evaluating the severity of MMI and supports significant epigenetic effects from UVR.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844022004856Month of birthSolar cyclesEpigenomeSchizophreniaBipolar disorderSchizoaffective disorder |
| spellingShingle | George E. Davis, Jr. Matthew J. Davis Walter E. Lowell The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data Heliyon Month of birth Solar cycles Epigenome Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder Schizoaffective disorder |
| title | The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data |
| title_full | The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data |
| title_fullStr | The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data |
| title_short | The effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month, birth year, and sunspot data |
| title_sort | effect of ultraviolet radiation on the incidence and severity of major mental illness using birth month birth year and sunspot data |
| topic | Month of birth Solar cycles Epigenome Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder Schizoaffective disorder |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844022004856 |
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