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circadian rhythm

·July 9, 2025·6 min read

Artificial Light Undermines Health: Aligning Modern Life With Biological Clocks

New research reveals that artificial light at night disrupts more than sleep, affecting immune function, metabolism, mood, and brain health. Circadian rhythms, finely tuned over millions of years, regulate critical biological processes and can be thrown off by modern lighting and irregular schedules.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 7, 2025·8 min read

Early Meals Boost Health, but Genetic Clock Shapes When We Eat

Our bodies process food differently depending on the time of day, and eating later has been linked to poorer metabolic health. A study of twins found that those who consumed most of their daily calories earlier had better insulin sensitivity and lower risk factors for diabetes and obesity.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 18, 2025·4 min read

Teen Sleep Patterns May Shape Brain Disorder Risk

Disrupting circadian rhythms during adolescence may alter how the brain responds to prenatal infections, a known risk factor for disorders like schizophrenia and autism. In a new mouse study, researchers found that each factor alone changed behavior and brain activity, but their combination produced unique effects—sometimes even counteracting one another.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·June 3, 2025·4 min read

Shared Genetic Signatures Found Across Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers have uncovered shared biological mechanisms across major psychiatric disorders by analyzing postmortem brain samples from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Instead of looking at gene expression broadly, they zoomed in on the exon level—the building blocks that influence how proteins are made.

This shows people working at night and day.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 2, 2025·3 min read

Night Owls More Impulsive Than Morning Larks

A new study reveals that adolescents who identify as “night owls” tend to be more impulsive than their early-rising peers. These teens reported higher negative urgency and lower perseverance, meaning they were more likely to act rashly under stress and abandon difficult tasks.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·May 29, 2025·5 min read

Seasonal Sunlight Still Shapes Human Sleep

Despite modern lighting and lifestyle, human sleep patterns remain deeply influenced by seasonal changes in sunlight. New research reveals that our circadian rhythms track daylight shifts across seasons, impacting mood, sleep alignment, and overall health.

This shows a person standing in sunlight.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 26, 2025·3 min read

Daylight Boosts Immune Defense

Researchers have discovered that daylight enhances the infection-fighting power of neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cells in the body. Using transparent zebrafish, scientists observed that these immune cells contain internal circadian clocks that are activated by light, boosting their bacterial-killing ability during the day.

This shows the outline of a teen, a clock and a brain.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 18, 2025·5 min read

How the Body’s Clock Influences Eating and Weight Gain in Teens

A new study reveals that the body’s internal clock plays a key role in eating behavior, influencing when and how much adolescents eat. Researchers found that teens with overweight or obesity consumed significantly more calories later in the day compared to those with a healthy weight. By isolating circadian influences from environmental and behavioral factors, they confirmed that food intake peaks in the late afternoon and evening regardless of sleep duration or external time cues.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 27, 2025·3 min read

Dopamine Clock May Drive Bipolar Mood Swings

New research suggests that mood swings in bipolar disorder are regulated by two clocks: the body’s 24-hour circadian rhythm and a dopamine-based clock that influences alertness. When these clocks align at specific intervals, they may trigger shifts between mania and depression.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 18, 2024·4 min read

Circadian Clock Influences Inflammation and Disease

New research reveals how the body’s circadian clock regulates macrophage activity, influencing immune system inflammation throughout the day. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a key component in the immune response, peaks during the morning when macrophages are most efficient.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 12, 2024·8 min read

Glioblastoma Syncs With the Body’s Internal Clock

Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, syncs its internal clock to the host’s circadian rhythms, leveraging daily hormone cycles for growth. Blocking these signals slowed tumor progression in mice and revealed that the timing of treatments like dexamethasone (DEX) critically influences outcomes.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 5, 2024·5 min read

Mapping the Brain’s 24-Hour Clock

Researchers have created the first complete map of the circadian clock in the Drosophila brain, revealing it consists of at least 240 neurons—far more than previously thought. This detailed map shows similarities between the clock mechanisms of insects and vertebrates, offering new insights into how rhythms like sleep, feeding, and hormone release are coordinated.

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