Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Precision caffeine therapy for apnea of prematurity and circadian rhythms: New possibilities open up
Hao-Ran Dai1,2, Hong-Li Guo1, Ya-Hui Hu1
1Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Abstract:
Caffeine is the globally consumed psychoactive substance and the drug of choice for the treatment of apnea of prematurity (AOP), but its therapeutic effects are highly variable among preterm infants. Many of the molecular underpinnings of the marked individual response have remained elusive yet. Interestingly, the significant association between Clock gene polymorphisms and the response to caffeine therapy offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of potential mechanistic pathways. In this review, we delineate the functions and mechanisms of human circadian rhythms. An up-to-date advance of the formation and ontogeny of human circadian rhythms during the perinatal period are concisely discussed. Specially, we summarize and discuss the characteristics of circadian rhythms in preterm infants. Second, we discuss the role of caffeine consumption on the circadian rhythms in animal models and human, especially in neonates and preterm infants. Finally, we postulate how circadian-based therapeutic initiatives could open new possibilities to promote precision caffeine therapy for the AOP management in preterm infants.
More Related Videos
04:53Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD — A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach
Published on: October 18, 2024
11:50Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Management of Insomnia
Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
Sleep Apnea
The condition is more prevalent among...
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...