(Extended adaptation of the SPAQ methodology integrating the Hamilton SAD scale)
This test differentiates between ordinary autumn hypovitaminosis, a circadian rhythm phase shift, and genetically determined Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) caused by polymorphisms in the5-HTTLPR,VDR, andPER3genes.
Rate your condition on a scale from0 to 3points:
1— Mild changes (noticed, but work and life do not suffer)
2— Moderate changes (requires effort to maintain the previous rhythm)
3— Pronounced changes (significantly reduces quality of life)
Sleep Latency Delay:Difficulty falling asleep before 1:00–2:00 AM, extremely heavy waking up in the morning, feeling of "brain fog" during the first 2 hours after awakening.
Social Anhedonia and Isolation:Desire to cancel meetings, reduce contacts, avoid calls, abandoning hobbies.
Carb Craving:Obsessive desire to eat "comfort food" (pastries, chocolate, pasta, potatoes), especially in the afternoon.
Morning Low:Feeling exhausted specifically in the morning, with relatively normal capacity for work by 6:00 PM–8:00 PM.
Somatic "Heavy Tail":Sensation of heaviness in the limbs ("lead legs/arms"), muscle lethargy without physical exertion.
Cognitive Rigidity:Slowdown in decision-making, difficulty switching between tasks, decline in creative thinking.
Mechanics:High expression of the serotonin transporter. The hypothalamus is resistant to drops in insolation.
What to do:Maintain a basic level of sleep hygiene, continue normal daily activity.
Mechanics:Melatonin continues to be produced in the morning due to a lack of the blue light spectrum, creating a "hyper-melatonin trail".
What to do:Use morning light therapy (10,000 Lux), eliminate blue light in the evening, introduce light aerobic exercise before 12:00 PM.
Mechanics:Ancient biochemical energy conservation program. The brain perceives the shortening of daylight as a signal for biological hibernation.
What to do:Full light biohacking protocol, checking VDR cofactors, supporting the tryptophan pathway, working with the microbiome.