Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
06:53
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Chronobiology and chronotherapy in medicine
1Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA.
Disease-A-Month : DM
|August 1, 1995
Summary
Chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms, reveals how daily cycles impact disease pathophysiology and treatment response. Understanding these circadian, ultradian, and infradian rhythms is crucial for effective medical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology and its impact on medicine.
Background:
- Biologic functions exhibit circadian, ultradian, and infradian rhythms.
- These rhythms influence daily biologic responses, pathophysiology, and treatment efficacy.
- Nocturnal asthma exacerbations are linked to daily cycles in hormone and mediator levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of chronobiology in medicine.
- To explain how biologic rhythms affect disease processes.
- To emphasize the need to consider time-related events in medical treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of chronobiologic principles and their medical implications.
- Examples of circadian influences on asthma, cardiovascular events, and performance.
- Historical context of chronobiology research.
Main Results:
- Biologic functions, from cellular to whole-body levels, operate on cyclical patterns.
- Daily rhythms influence the timing of disease exacerbations (e.g., nocturnal asthma).
- Physiologic changes upon waking (e.g., increased heart rate, blood pressure) correlate with peak events like heart attacks.
Conclusions:
- Understanding chronobiology is essential for a comprehensive approach to medicine.
- Time-based variations in biologic functions must be considered in disease pathophysiology and treatment.
- Chronobiology offers insights into why symptoms and performance vary throughout the day.
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
01:30Pulse rhythm
Pulse rhythm refers to the pattern of pulsations within specific intervals, offering valuable insights into the regularity or irregularity of the heart's beats as observed through the pattern of pulsation within specific intervals. A regular pulse exhibits a consistent heart rate with uniform waveforms and pulsation force, variations of which can be classified as normal, weak, or bounding.
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac muscle...
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac muscle...
01:19Management of Insomnia
The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
01:15Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
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...
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...
01:20Chronopharmacokinetics: Time-Dependent Pharmacokinetics
Chronopharmacokinetics studies the temporal change in drug absorption and elimination. These changes can be cyclical or non-cyclical. Cyclical changes occur over a regular interval, while non-cyclical changes occur over a longer, irregular period.
Time-dependent pharmacokinetics refers to non-cyclical changes in drug rate processes over a period of time. It can lead to nonlinear pharmacokinetics, where the relationship between drug concentration and time is not proportional. Non-cyclical...
Time-dependent pharmacokinetics refers to non-cyclical changes in drug rate processes over a period of time. It can lead to nonlinear pharmacokinetics, where the relationship between drug concentration and time is not proportional. Non-cyclical...
01:27Insomnia
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
Multiple factors contribute...