A balanced clock: network plasticity in the central mammalian clock

Olde Engberink, A.H.O.

Olde Engberink, A.H.O. (2022)

A balanced clock: network plasticity in the central mammalian clock

Doctoral Thesis

The experimental research in this thesis aims to gain more understanding of how the SCN network is organized and what is needed for network changes. More specifically, this work focused on the potential role of GABA and the GABAeric E/I balance in SCN network plasticity. Communication and synchronization in the SCN are important for the generation of a strong and coherent output signal. Under certain conditions, like long photoperiod, the phases of the individual SCN cells are more dispersed over the 24 hour cycle as evidenced by measurements of electrical activity and clock gene expression. Aging is also known to affect the network organization of the SCN with deterioration in synchronization among the individual SCN neurons. In this thesis, I present work that contributes to research questions regarding the effect of light exposure and/or aging on several characteristics of SCN network plasticity.

Circadian clock

Suprachiasmatic nucleus