Circadian (daily) rhythms are found in all functions e.g. performance, mood, endocrine rhythms, behaviour, sleep timing. The biological clocks that control circadian rhythms are based on a genetic programme of interacting molecules in cells throughout the body, coordinated by a ´master clock´ in the brain and synchronised by external cues, mainly light...
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July 16, 2010
June 22, 2010
Exercise may be an effective and nonpharmacologic treatment option for alcohol dependence
Alcohol abuse is highly disruptive of circadian rhythms, which refers to the timing of daily rhythms. A new animal study has used hamsters to test for the influence of wheel-running on alcohol intake. Results indicate that exercise, perhaps through stimulation of brain reward pathways, may be able to reduce alcohol intake in humans.
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January 9, 2010
To Sleep, Perchance to Reset Your Body Clock
Not long ago, I was consulted on the case of an 11-year-old boy with bipolar disorder who was not able to go to sleep before 1 am. The problem did not seem to stem from ongoing symptoms of bipolar disorder. I did not have the benefit of detailed information about the boy's endogenous circadian rhythms, but I thought a phase-resetting intervention might be helpful. I recommended a 0.3-mg dose of m
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October 27, 2009
Disruption Of Circadian Rhythms Affects Both Brain And Body, Mouse Study Finds
A new study has found that chronic disruption of one of the most basic circadian (daily) rhythms -- the day/night cycle -- leads to weight gain, impulsivity, slower thinking, and other physiological and behavioral changes in mice, similar to those observed in people who experience shift work or jet lag.
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May 15, 2009
Suicide Rates in Greenland Are Highest During the Summer
by: crdagainSeasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a cyclical depressive disorder that typically recurs every year during the shorter days and longer nights of late fall-early winter. Much of the research on SAD has focused on changes in the photoperiod and the accompanying effects on circadian rhythms during winter. So it might come as a surprise that in Greenland, the suicide rate peaks during th
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