The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of alcohol abuse on the production of melatonin from the pineal gland as evidenced by the development of chronobiologic sleep and mood disorders. Little is known about the effect of alcohol abuse on the function of the human pineal gland, but several recently published studies suggest that alcohol abuse adversely affects pineal gland function. Ethanol may directly affect pinealocytes by inhibiting the normal circandian rhythm of melatonin production.
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