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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents
Published on: January 24, 2013
Phase-synchronization of daily motor activities can reveal differential circadian patterns
Zsolt Dancsházy1, András Dér, Géza I Groma
1Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary. dancs@nucleus.szbk.u-szeged.hu
Abstract:
The aim of the study was to determine any alteration of the 24 h motor activity pattern of a bipolar patient in different mood states. Actigraphic records were collected on an outpatient basis for a total of 387 days. The daily actograms were synchronized in phase to the time of morning awakening before averaging, which significantly enhanced the structure of the averaged traces. The actograms were divided into three groups based on total daily count. The daily motor activity patterns of the low- and high-activity days have a different circadian pattern. We propose it may have a relevance to the different mood states. The phase-synchronization of the 24h actograms to the patient's sleep-wake cycle, specifically to the time of awaking from the nighttime sleep, may help reveal differences in the daily temporal patterns of motor activity.
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