Letter of Invitation

Subject: Joint meeting of the SLTBR and AAMCC, Toronto, Canada May 28 – 30, 2004
Call for Abstracts
See the Websites for Meeting Schedule: sltbr.org or aamcc.org

Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms (SLTBR)
Anthony Levitt, President

American Association for Medical Chronobiology and Chronotherapeutics (AAMCC)
Erhard Haus, President

Dear Colleagues,

Medical chronobiology has been expanding rapidly during the last decade. It has found its way into many areas of medical practice in psychiatry, sleep medicine, cardiovascular and other parts of internal medicine. The question of synchronization and internal and external desynchronization of the human time structure plays a central role in many of these applications. Bright light and nonphotic synchronizers have been used with varying success. The synchronization of circadian rhythms to the surrounding clock-hour is essential for the beneficial effect of chronobiologically timed medications (chronotherapy). There is a broad interest in the potential applications of bright light and melatonin, its analogues and other hormonal agents as chronobiotics in fields in which circadian and other (e.g. seasonal) rhythm alterations seem to play a role.

Against this background the SLTBR and the AAMCC have joined forces to explore some areas of common interest in which synchronization and/or desynchronization of biologic rhythms seems to be of importance. The 2004 meetings of the SLTBR and the AAMCC were combined in order to provide scientists and clinicians involved in medical chronobiology the current state of knowledge and to discuss new information regarding pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for disorders of biological rhythms. Problems of synchronization and desynchronization will be discussed ranging from molecular mechanisms to various fields of internal medicine. The topics of "Appetite Regulation and Obesity" and "The Interface of Cardiovascular Disease and Depressive Disorder" were chosen for their broad overlap in interest between psychiatry, chronobiology and internal medicine and because of their impact as major problems of our society.

At the meeting recent advances and new findings related to these topics will be discussed in plenary sessions and new data presented in the form of short oral presentation and/or posters. Poster-discussion sessions on May 29 and 30 will cover topics of bright light effects and of medical chronobiology, chronopharmacology, chronotherapeutics and chronobiotics. We invite if you or members of your group have new data ready for discussion, to submit an abstract for oral presentation or as poster. All accepted abstracts will be published in a future issue of Chronobiology International.

For those interested in the detailed concepts and methods for the application of bright light therapy or applications of medical chronobiology, chronopharmacology and chronotherapeutics to medical practice, a didactic half-day Continuing Medical Education course will be conducted in the afternoon of May 30, 2004, on the topics: 1) The multiple clinical uses of light therapy: an update, 2) New interventions for seasonal related disorders; and 3) Medical Chronobiology in general and cardiopulmonary medicine.

The meeting will take place at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto. Toronto is a large, vibrant, safe and culturally diverse city of some 4 million people. It is home to the finest restaurants, theatre, arts and entertainment in Canada! The Conference Hotel overlooks the famous Toronto Islands and Harbor, and a part of Lake Ontario, which in Iroquois means "beautiful lake".

We hope that you are interested in this new exciting venture and are looking forward to see you in Toronto, Canada, May 28-30, 2004.

 With best regards,

Anthony Levitt, MD
President, SLTBR

Erhard Haus, MD, PhD
President, AAMCC

Robert Levitan, MD
SLTBR Program Chair

Michael Smolensky, PhD
Vice-President, AAMCC