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circadian rhythm

·September 16, 2019·4 min read

Brain activity intensity drives need for sleep

Galanin expressing neurons are selectively active during rebound sleep. The expression of galanin increases after neuronal activity and sleep deprivation. The neuropeptide plays a critical role in sleep homeostasis.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 27, 2019·4 min read

Researchers take aim at circadian clock in deadly brain cancer

Glioblastoma stem cells' circadian clocks ramp up the cells' metabolism, making them stronger, more resistant to treatment, and able to divide and multiply more rapidly. By targeting the stem cells with a small molecule drug, researchers found mice models lived longer and their tumors shrank.

This shows a sleepy woman reaching for an alarm clock

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·August 25, 2019·4 min read

Night owls may have 10 percent higher risk of early death

A study that spanned 6.5 years reveals night owls have a 10% increased risk of death over those who sleep and rise early. Keeping late hours is also associated with numerous health risks, social isolation, and increased risk of depression.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 9, 2019·3 min read

Disrupted genetic clocks in schizophrenia-affected brains reveal clues to the disease

Gene expression rhythms in the brains of those with schizophrenia are highly disrupted a new study reports. The expression of genes is significantly different in those with schizophrenia who died at night compared to the general population. The findings provide new insight into a potential mechanism that underlies gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in those with schizophrenia.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 6, 2019·5 min read

1 in 300 thrives on very-early-to-bed, very-early-to-rise routine

Advanced sleep phase may affect as many as one in 300 people, and may be the result of a genetic trait.

This shows a mom breastfeeding her newborn at night

Featured Neuroscience

·August 6, 2019·5 min read

Human breast milk may help babies tell time via circadian signals from mom

Breast milk may help train the circadian clock in young babies. The hormonal composition of breast milk changes throughout the day, with cortisol levels being higher in the morning and melatonin levels being higher at night.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 26, 2019·5 min read

Meal timing strategies appear to lower appetite and improve fat burning

Utilizing mealtime strategies, such as intermittent fasting or early eating, can help improve fat burning and reduce appetite. Those who practice early eating restricted feeding strategies had lower levels of ghrelin and improved fat burning.

This is an outline of a person in a bathtub

Featured Neuroscience

·July 20, 2019·4 min read

Take a Warm Bath 1-2 hours Before Bedtime to Get Better Sleep

Taking a warm bath an hour or two before bedtime can help improve sleep quality. Scheduling a soak in the tub 1.5 hours before sleep, and setting the water temperature to 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit can hasten the speed of falling asleep by, on average, 10 minutes in addition to improving sleep quality.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 20, 2019·3 min read

Newly discovered neural pathway processes acute light to affect sleep

Study challenges the widely accepted belief that all light information is relayed through the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which synchronizes the circadian rhythm.

This shows a teddy bear sitting at a computer late at night

Featured Neuroscience

·June 10, 2019·4 min read

Night owls can ‘retrain’ their body clocks to improve mental well-being and performance

Simple lifestyle alterations can help reset the circadian clock, leading to improved mental and physical health for those who have trouble getting to sleep at night.

This shows the researcher next to a head made of clocks

Featured Neuroscience

·May 30, 2019·3 min read

Body parts respond to day and night independently from brain

Skin and liver cells appear to have their own circadian clock. Both the liver and skin respond to changes in light and maintain critical function, independent of the brain's circadian rhythm.