Northwestern team identifies first enzyme in mammalian circadian clock
...rking right, normal circadian rhythms of sleep and wakefulness adhere to a 24-hour cycle. When something is awry, the sleep-wake cycle is thrown off its normal pattern. In mammals, the clock's feedback loop begins when a pair of proteins in the cell's nucleus, activation proteins called CLOCK-BMAL1, bind to ...Cardiovascular system holds a key to circadian clock
...n rhythms that control body temperature, sleep and wakefulness ,pain sensitivity, and the response to drugs. "We know that the responseto certain drugs used in the treatment of cancer vary substantially depending on the time of day that they are administered," said GarretFitzGerald, MD, chairman of Penn's D...Body hormone ghrelin, a food intake and weight gain influence, is found to promote sleep
...during the second third of the night. Intermittent wakefulness appeared to decrease, although it did not reach a level of significance. All other sleep continuity and sleep architecture variables remained unchanged. Conclusions This study finds that the body's endocrine system may offer a means for the body to...Scientists' findings may lead to better understanding of how that sleep develops, matures
...inated when > 10 min of indeterminate sleep or wakefulness occurred. Statistical analysis was performed and age trends of visually scored sleep and cycle variables were assessed. Absolute EEG power density measures were analyzed and significance level was set at p Results Highlights of the researchers' f...UT Southwestern research halts narcolepsy symptoms
... more effective ways for insomniacs to boost their wakefulness during the daytime. Artificially reintroducing a b...archers found that the orexin injections increased wakefulness and suppressed cataplectic arrests. Also, there was no "rebound sleep" after the orexin effect wore ...Unnatural light-dark cycles expose duelling circadian clocks
...er that regulates circadian rhythms like sleep and wakefulness is localized to a defined site in the brain, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is composed of many neurons whose circadian activities are in synchrony with one another. By exposing rats to a very short day/night schedule a regimen that effect...'Dissecting sleep' by studying the strange phenomenon of cataplexy
...el and his colleagues have presented evidence that wakefulness is maintained by the activity of neurons triggered by the neurotransmitter histamine. The discovery will be appreciated by anyone in whom antihistamines in allergy or over-the-counter sleep drugs cause drowsiness. The findings offer new insights bot...Coordinating power of circadian rhythms keeps estrus and pregnancy on track
... Many biological processes, including sleep and wakefulness as well as feeding and metabolism, have a 24-hour rhythmicity. The circadian rhythms that underlie these patterns are controlled in the brain by a molecular clock that has a period of approximately 24 hours. By studying the Clock mutant mouse, which ...UT Southwestern biochemist honored with NIH Director's Pioneer Award
...ternal clock and regulate such processes as sleep, wakefulness and hunger signals. Research in the McKnight lab has recently shown mutations in a class of genes related to these "clock" functions have a broad range of outcomes, from abnormal eating and sleeping patterns to signs of depression. Studies of the ...