Page "Seasonal affective disorder" Paragraph 13

Various proximate causes have been proposed.

One possibility is that SAD is related to a lack of serotonin, and serotonin polymorphisms could play a role in SAD, although this has been disputed.

Mice incapable of turning serotonin into N-acetylserotonin ( by Serotonin N-acetyltransferase ) appear to express " depression-like " behavior, and antidepressants such as fluoxetine increase the amount of the enzyme Serotonin N-acetyltransferase, resulting in an antidepressant-like effect.

Another theory is that the cause may be related to melatonin which is produced in dim light and darkness by the pineal gland, since there are direct connections, via the retinohypothalamic tract and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, between the retina and the pineal gland.