Resetting The Body Clock
Scientists have discovered how to reset our body’s daily cycle (circadian rhythm). Over the years we have figured out how our body cycle work and researchers have discovered treatments that will correct mismatches. Though it’s only for mice. Our body cycles are affected by the light. The clock is a bundle of neurons in a region called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The Vanderbilt University showed how it’s possible to control the clock by switching on and off, Mimicking day and night activities.
Scientists figured that by artificially stimulating the SCN neurons, they could control the experiment mice’s sleep/wake rhythms. “Of course, this exact approach isn’t ready for human use yet,” said study author Michael Tackenberg. “But others are making progress toward eventually using optogenetics as therapy.” Tackenberg is now taking the work forward by examining whether mice suffering from seasonal affective disorder—a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern—respond to the stimulation.
