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[Circadian rhythm disruption and human development]

Jun Kohyama1

  • 1Japan Association for Development of Community Medicine, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center.

Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine
|January 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Circadian rhythms in children develop over time and can be disrupted by environmental factors. Early sleep disturbances may indicate later developmental disorders, requiring careful attention.

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience

Context:

  • Human ontogeny involves the development of biological rhythms, including rest-activity, sleep-wakefulness, temperature, and hormone cycles.
  • Environmental influences significantly impact the maturation of these circadian rhythms during early life.
  • Disruptions in these rhythms are observed in various early-life conditions.

Purpose:

  • To review the ontogenetic development of key circadian rhythms in humans.
  • To summarize environmental effects on these developmental alterations.
  • To describe early-life disorders associated with circadian rhythm disruptions.

Summary:

  • The review details the maturation of rest-activity, sleep-wakefulness, temperature, and hormone rhythms in humans.
  • Environmental factors influencing these developmental changes are discussed.
  • Conditions linked to circadian disruption include severe brain damage, visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, epilepsy, Yonaki, and poor sleep hygiene.

Impact:

  • Highlights the link between early-life sleep disturbances and later developmental disorders.
  • Emphasizes the need for vigilance regarding sleep issues in young children.
  • Suggests early identification of circadian rhythm disruptions may aid in predicting or mitigating developmental disorders.

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