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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
A role for the circadian genes in drug addiction
Edgardo Falcón1, Colleen A McClung
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA.
Abstract:
Diurnal and circadian rhythms are prominent in nearly all bodily functions. Chronic disruptions in normal sleep wake and social schedules can lead to serious health problems such as those seen in shift worker's syndrome. Moreover, genetic disruptions in normal circadian gene functions have recently been linked to a variety of psychiatric conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder and alcoholism. Recent studies are beginning to determine how these circadian genes and rhythms are involved in the development of drug addiction. Several of these studies suggest an important role for these genes in limbic regions of the brain, outside of the central circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This review summarizes some of the basic research into the importance of circadian genes in drug addiction.
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