NASA contributed to the study with a series of data related to physical aspects such as light exposure of a certain area of the Earth obtained through its satellites. Crossing these data with those from 2,414 patients with bipolar from different geographical areas of the world showed a relationship between the maximum solar insolation variation, particularly in spring, and the age of onset of bipolar disorder. The larger the maximum monthly increase in solar insolation at the location of onset, the younger the age of onset.
Solar insolation variation induce changes over living things, such as flowering or changes in sexual behavior. New research shows that these changes could be related to the onset, in genetically vulnerable individuals, of affective disorders such as bipolar disorder. This helps to understanding the disease, although the clinical applications of this discovery are unclear. Maybe in the future it will be possible to act on therapeutic targets such as neurotransmitters, including serotonin and melatonin, involved in the acquisition and transmission of light from the retina.