The circadian system throughout the seasons of life

Buijink, M.R. (2024)

Doctoral Thesis

The circadian system has evolved to benefit the fitness of the organism. A properly functioning clock improves overall performance and promotes health. By gaining more knowledge about how the system works and responds to changes, therapies can be developed to promote the functioning of the circadian system.  In this thesis, the response of the circadian system to changes in daylength (e.g. long summer days and short winter days was investigated. In addition the functioning of the circadian system with aging was investigated. This is relevant since aging is known to be accompanied by a weakening of the circadian system in humans, which has been associated with deterioration of a number of age-related conditions such as arteriosclerosis, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, a large proportion of the elderly will experience fragmentation of sleep, meaning that people have difficulty sleeping at night, while during the day they are very sleepy. Promoting the circadian rhythm with relatively simple interventions, such as correctly timed exposure to (day) light, physical activity and food intake can support the circadian system and promote general health.

• Circadian system
• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
• Neuronal network
• Electrophysiology
• Metabolomics

• All authors: Buijink, M.R.
• Supervisor: Meijer, J.H.; Hankemeier, T.
• Co-supervisor: Michel, S.
• Committee: Slagboom, P.E.; Sumova, A.; Fleur, S.E. la; Dijke, P. ten
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University
• Date: 2024-06-27
• ISBN (print): 9789464699791