Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by a complex and multifaceted neurobehavioral syndrome. In the last decades, several studies highlighted an increased prevalence of sleep problems in ASD, which would be associated with autonomic system and circadian rhythm disruption.
Viral infections constitute a tectonic convulsion in the normophysiology of the hosts. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is not an exception, and therefore the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, like any other invading microbe, enacts a generalized immune response once the virus contacts the body.
Many systemic functions display circadian rhythms driven by an endogenous mechanism that is regulated by circadian-related genes and these gene expressions control a central clock in the brain and subordinate clocks in peripheral tissues. However, modern life has introduced environmental factors that often interfere with natural circadian rhythms. Importantly, circadian disruption has been identified as an independent risk factor of cancers.
The role of melatonin has been extensively investigated in pathophysiological conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reduced melatonin secretion has been reported in ASD and led to many clinical trials using immediate-release and prolonged-release oral formulations of melatonin. However, melatonin’s effects in ASD and the choice of formulation type require further study.
Melatonin: From Pharmacokinetics to Clinical Use in Autism Spectrum Disorder Read More »
The regular rise and fall of the sun resulted in the development of 24-h rhythms in virtually all organisms. In an evolutionary heartbeat, humans have taken control of their light environment with electric light. Humans are highly sensitive to light, yet most people now use light until bedtime. We evaluated the impact of modern home lighting environments in relation to sleep and individual-level light sensitivity using a new wearable spectrophotometer.
Evening home lighting adversely impacts the circadian system and sleep Read More »
The non-motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are increasingly being recognised. This review deals with the spectrum of sleep disorders associated with PD, which have a multifactorial aetiology and can significantly have an impact on the quality of life of patients and their carers.
Disruption to sleep and circadian rhythms can impact on metabolism. The study aimed to investigate the effect of acute sleep deprivation on plasma melatonin, cortisol and metabolites, to increase understanding of the metabolic pathways involved in sleep/wake regulation processes.
Poor sleep associates with mental and cardiometabolic pathological outcomes. The participation of sleep timing features in the pathways by which this relationship occurs is not clear.
In depression, symptoms range from loss of motivation and energy to suicidal thoughts. Moreover, in depression alterations might be also observed in the sleep-wake cycle and in the daily rhythms of hormonal (e.g., cortisol, melatonin) secretion.
Studies on circadian timing in depression have produced variable results, with some investigations suggesting phase advances and others phase delays. This variability may be attributable to differences in participant diagnosis, medication use, and methodology between studies.
Pregnancy is influenced by the circadian (“circa” or approximately; diēm or day) system, which coordinates physiology and behavior with predictable daily changes in the environment such as light/dark cycles.
Riding the Rhythm of Melatonin Through Pregnancy to Deliver on Time. Read More »
Humans live in a 24-hour environment, in which light and darkness follow a diurnal pattern. Our circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the hypothalamus, is entrained to the 24-hour solar day via a pathway from the retina and synchronises our internal biological rhythms.
Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Read More »
Healthy circadian rhythmicity has been suggested to relate to a better state of brain-injured patients and to support the emergence of consciousness in patient groups characterized by a relative instability thereof such as patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC).
Last year melatonin was 60 years old, or at least its discovery was 60 years ago. The molecule itself may well be almost as old as life itself. So it is time to take yet another perspective on our understanding of its functions, effects and clinical uses.
Melatonin: Countering Chaotic Time Cues. Read More »
Circadian rhythms (CR) are a series of endogenous autonomous oscillators generated by the molecular circadian clock which acting on coordinating internal time with the external environment in a 24-h daily cycle.
New Insights Into the Circadian Rhythm and Its Related Diseases. Read More »
The purpose of this review is to provide a brief summary about the current state of knowledge regarding the circadian rhythm in the regulation of normal renal function.
Circadian Clock Genes in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). Read More »
Daily rhythms generated by endogenous circadian mechanisms and synchronized to the light-dark cycle have been implicated in the timing of birth in a wide variety of species. Although chronodisruption (e.g., shift work or clock gene mutations) is associated with poor reproductive outcomes, little is known about circadian timing during pregnancy.
Pregnancy Induces an Earlier Chronotype in Both Mice and Women. Read More »
Aging and various age-related diseases are associated with reductions in melatonin secretion, proinflammatory changes in the immune system, a deteriorating circadian system, and reductions in sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) activity.
Aging, Melatonin, and the Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Networks. Read More »
Disruption of circadian rhythmicity induced by prolonged light exposure, altered sleep patterns and shift work is associated with the development of obesity and related metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Insulin resistance is a main determinant in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
Circadian clocks and insulin resistance. Read More »
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has revealed itself as an ubiquitously distributed and functionally diverse molecule. The mechanisms that control its synthesis within the pineal gland have been well characterized and the retinal and biological clock processes that modulate the circadian production of melatonin in the pineal gland are rapidly being unravelled.
Melatonin: a multitasking molecule. Read More »
Objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of prolonged-release melatonin 2 mg (PRM) on sleep and subsequent daytime psychomotor performance in patients aged > or =55 years with primary insomnia, as defined by fourth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.
Melatonin influences insulin secretion both in vivo and in vitro.
Melatonin, endocrine pancreas and diabetes. Read More »
To determine the effects of sleep and sleep deprivation on plasma melatonin concentrations in humans and whether these effects are age-dependent.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a circadian-rhythm sleep disorder characterized by abnormally late sleep and wake times. Melatonin, taken in the evening, advances sleep and circadian phase in patients with DSPS. However, little is known about the most effective dose or time of administration. In the present study, we tested the effectiveness of melatonin to advance the timing of sleep and circadian phase in individuals with DSPS.
Phase-dependent treatment of delayed sleep phase syndrome with melatonin. Read More »
To summarize the role of melatonin and circadian rhythms in determining optimal female reproductive physiology, especially at the peripheral level.
Melatonin and the circadian system: contributions to successful female reproduction. Read More »