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Current Understanding of the Circadian Clock and the Clinical Implications for Neurological Disorders
Fred W. Turek, PhD;
Christine Dugovic, PhD;
Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD
Arch Neurol. 2001;58:1781-1787.
The changes in behavior that occur
on a 24-hour basis to match the 24-hour changes in the physical
environment due to the rotation of the earth on its axis are a hallmark
of life on the planet Earth.1 The nervous system of both
lower and higher organisms has evolved over millions of years to meet
the demands of the dramatic changes in the physical environment that
occur in relation to the changes in the light-dark cycle, optimizing
the survival and reproductive success of the organism. During the past
50 years, it has been clearly established that the 24-hour nature of
life was not simply a response to the 24-hour changes in the physical
environment imposed by celestial mechanics, but instead was due to an
internal time-keeping system in the brain. Many neurological disorders
are associated with abnormal 24-hour rhythms, including the sleep-wake
cycle. The recent discovery of the molecular basis of the neural clock
in animals offers neurologists new avenues for studying the
pathophysiology of neurological disorders.
From the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Department of
Neurobiology and Physiology, Department of Neurology, Northwestern
University, Evanston, Ill.
Corresponding author: Fred W. Turek, PhD, Center for Circadian
Biology and Medicine, Northwestern University, 2153 N Campus Dr,
Evanston, IL 60208-3520 (e-mail: turek{at}northwestern.edu).
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