Biological Implications of Circadian Disruption: A Modern Health Challenge [Paperback]

Researchers explain how daily schedules and exposure to light can disrupt our circadian clock and lead to health complications.Exposure to electric light at night is ubiquitous in modern society. This book describes how our 24-hour circadian clock regulates our physiology and behavior and why light at the wrong time of day can impact our health.Exposure to electric light at night is ubiquitous in modern society. This book describes how our 24-hour circadian clock regulates our physiology and behavior and why light at the wrong time of day can impact our health.Life on earth has evolved under a consistent cycle of light and darkness caused by the earth's rotation around its axis. This has led to a 24-hour circadian system in most organisms, ranging all the way from fungi to humans. With the advent of electric light in the 19th century, cycles of light and darkness have drastically changed. Shift workers and others exposed to high levels of light at night are at increased risk of health problems, including metabolic syndrome, depression, sleep disorders, dementia, heart disease, and cancer. This book will describe how the circadian system regulates physiology and behavior and consider the important health repercussions of chronic disruption of the circadian system in our increasingly lit world. The research summarized here will interest students in psychology, biology, neuroscience, immunology, medicine, and ecology.1. Introduction to circadian rhythms Laura K. Fonken and Randy J. Nelson; 2. Central clock dynamics: daily timekeeping, photic processing, and photoperiodic encoding by the suprachiasmatic nucleus Deborah A. M. Joye, Robert Wheeler and Jennifer A. Evans; 3. Melatonin, light, and the circadian system Margarita L. Dubocovich; 4. Disrupted circadian rhythms, stress, and allostatic load Ilia N. Karatsoreos; 5. Disrupted circadian rhythms and mental health Anthony Rosenthal and Tara A. LeGates; 6. Circadian rhythms and cognitive functioning Jacob S. Moellerl#&