The circadian rhythm is a biological rhythm lasting approximately 24 hours. It is the rhythm that controls all the activities of our body and our brain such as the sleep, metabolism, alertness… These daily activities are regulated by certain genes that are found in almost all cells, but have rarely been studied in the human brain. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine therefore examined the brains of 146 people with no history of psychiatric or neurological problems whose families had donated to medical research. They categorized these brains according to whether they had belonged to someone under 40 or over 60 and analyzed tissue samples from the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in learning, memory and d other aspects of cognitive performance.
The researchers were able to identify 235 basic genes that make up the molecular clock in this part of the brain. Their study allowed them to discover that there was a circadian rhythm change in many genes in the elderly, “which would explain some of the changes that occur in sleep, cognition and mood as we age” explains Professor Colleen McClung, professor of psychiatry and lead author of the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“This information could be useful in developing treatments for cognitive and sleep problems that can occur with aging, as well as a possible treatment for ‘sundowning,’ a condition in which older people with dementia become restless, confused and anxious in the evening”.
The researchers will now explore the function of the circadian rhythm of brain genes in animals, to see if it is altered in people who suffer from psychiatric or neurological diseases.
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