Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T02:05:59.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Aging and circadian rhythms: general trends

from Part 1 - Sleep and normal aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2010

S. R. Pandi-Perumal
Affiliation:
Somnogen Inc, New York
Jaime M. Monti
Affiliation:
Universidad de la República, Uruguay
Andrew A. Monjan
Affiliation:
National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
Get access

Summary

This chapter shows that circadian rhythms have a tendency to become less robust with increasing age, i.e. they generally exhibit decreases in amplitude and less stability. Some obvious consequences of such reductions in rhythm amplitude are fragmentation of rhythms, complete loss of temporal order and structure, loss of stability of entrainment, and responsiveness to zeitgebers. Other consequences include changes in clock period and its stability, and inappropriate phase relationships among behavioral and metabolic oscillations. Age-related decreases in the amplitude of circadian rhythms in humans and other mammals have been linked to a deterioration of rhythmic behaviors such as those seen in locomotor activity, feeding and drinking. Anatomical and electrophysiological studies have shown that age-related changes occur within the biological clocks of mammals including humans. There is increasing evidence for age-related changes in the structure and neurochemistry of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), including alterations in cells producing vasopressin.
Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×