Work

Evidence for Internal Desynchrony Caused by Circadian Clock Resetting.

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Circadian disruption has been linked to markers for poor health outcomes in humans and animal models. What is it about circadian disruption that is problematic? One hypothesis is that phase resetting of the circadian system, which occurs in response to changes in environmental timing cues, leads to internal desynchrony within the organism. Internal desynchrony is understood as acute changes in phase relationships between biological rhythms from different cell groups, tissues, or organs within the body. Do we have strong evidence for internal desynchrony associated with or caused by circadian clock resetting? Here we review the literature, highlighting several key studies from measures of gene expression in laboratory rodents. We conclude that current evidence offers strong support for the premise that some protocols for light-induced resetting are associated with internal desynchrony. It is important to continue research to test whether internal desynchrony is necessary and/or sufficient for negative health impact of circadian disruption.

Source: PubMed Central

Authors: Shannon K Nicholls, Leandro P Casiraghi, Wanqi Wang, E Todd Weber, Mary E Harrington

Institutions: Smith College, University of Washington, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Rider University

Language: English

Topic: Circadian rhythm and melatonin

Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: In vivo tracking of bioluminescent markers of circadian rhythms in behaving animals