The study of circadian rhythms of hormones in PAD reveals impairments in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, GH, PRL, TSH and melatonin secretion. Twenty-four hour cortisol curves show increased number of secretory episodes, increased duration of each episode, increased amount of total cortisol secretion for each episode and of cortisol secretion per minute. Moreover, secretory bursts appear in the late afternoon-evening, when in normal subjects secretion is blunted. In some cases the acrophase is phase-advanced by 1-4 h. GH nocturnal peak is often blunted. PRL nocturnal secretion may also be low, especially in bipolar patients, or the acrophase is 6-8 h phase-advanced. Melatonin nocturnal peak may be blunted and abnormal diurnal peaks are sometimes observed. TSH secretion is normal in bipolar patients; in unipolars, the nocturnal peak, the mean 24-h secretion and the ratio sleep/wakefulness are reduced. The acrophase may be advanced.