Photoperiodic encoding by the neuronal network of the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Author(s):
Leest, H.T. van der
Published
2010
Publication type
Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

The biological clock in mammals is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and regulates daily and seasonal rhythms. The research presented in this thesis consists of behavioral and electrophysiological experiments to investigate the SCN as a pacemaker of daily and seasonal rhythms. We investigated the activity of single neurons and small groups of neurons in the SCN and their role in photoperiodic adaptations. We found that single cells in the SCN do not code for the length of day, but that photoperiodic encoding is a property of the SCN neuronal network.

CircadianElectrophysiologyEntrainmentNeuronal networkPhase shiftSingle unitSuprachiasmatic Nucleus
Defense date
2010-11-03
Language
English
Supervisor(s)
Meijer, J.H.
Qualification
Ph.D.
Degree granting institution
Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University, Leiden
hdl
1887/16100

Funding

Sponsorship
This work was supported by program grant "From Molecule to Cell" by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), grant number 805.47.212 and by "Entrainment of the circadian clock" EUCLOCK program of the European Union.