Psychiatria pre prax 4/2009

Neurobiology circadian rhythms and clinical applications

Circadian rhythms are the external expression of an internal timing mechanism that measures daily time. Circadian clocks are set or entrained by periodic environmental cues, with the daily light-dark cycle being the most pervasive and potent stimulus. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that abnormal circadian function may be involved in behaviours associated with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder.

Keywords: circadian rhythms, affective disorders