Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Circadian rhythms in healthy aging--effects downstream from the pacemaker.

T H Monk1, D J Kupfer

  • 1Sleep and Chronobiology Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, USA. monkth@msx.upmc.edu

Chronobiology International
|June 7, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Aging humans struggle to relay internal body clock signals, not generate them. This age-related circadian dysfunction impacts alertness and performance, particularly in men.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Relationship between social rhythms and mood in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Psychiatry research·1999
Same author

Diagnostic certainty of a voluntary bipolar disorder case registry.

Journal of affective disorders·1999
Same author

Cerebral glucose metabolic response to combined total sleep deprivation and antidepressant treatment in geriatric depression.

The American journal of psychiatry·1999
Same author

Insulin-like growth factor 1 and growth hormone binding protein in depression: a preliminary communication.

Journal of psychiatric research·1999
Same author

Consensus criteria for traumatic grief. A preliminary empirical test.

The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·1999
Same author

Report of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Efficacy and Safety of Halcion.

Archives of general psychiatry·1999

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Human Physiology
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • Circadian rhythms regulate numerous physiological processes.
  • Aging is associated with disruptions in circadian timing.
  • The precise mechanisms of age-related circadian dysfunction are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether age-related circadian dysfunction stems from signal generation or transduction failure.
  • To examine the impact of aging on downstream circadian rhythms, specifically subjective alertness and objective performance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of previously published and new data on circadian rhythms in aging humans.
  • Assessment of subjective alertness under normal and unmasking (constant wakefulness) conditions.
Keywords:
NASA Discipline Regulatory PhysiologyNASA Program Biomedical Research and CountermeasuresNon-NASA Center

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evaluation of objective performance (manual dexterity, visual search, vigilance) during unmasking experiments.

    • Main Results:

    • Advancing age, particularly in men, leads to flattened subjective alertness rhythms, even with robust circadian temperature rhythms.
    • The strong relationship between circadian temperature and objective performance observed in young individuals is diminished in older subjects, especially older men.
    • Evidence suggests a failure in transducing circadian signals to downstream rhythms with aging.

    Conclusions:

    • Age-related circadian dysfunction in healthy humans is primarily characterized by impaired signal transduction, not signal generation.
    • This transduction deficit affects downstream rhythms like alertness and performance.
    • Interventions targeting circadian signal transduction may be beneficial for mitigating age-related functional decline.