ABSTRACT

Given the increasing role of circadian rhythm disruption in health and disease, animal models are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms and effects involved. Social jetlag is a mild form of chronic circadian rhythm disruption that involves a misalignment between one’s internal time and their external schedule. Using phase advances and delays that are characteristic of a typical working week with sleep binging on the weekend, we propose an animal model of social jetlag. We also investigate the role of the food entrainable oscillator in learning and memory by manipulating the regularity and number of daily meals. We hypothesized that rats exposed to social jetlag would display cognitive impairments. It was unclear if a consistent meal would ameliorate the deleterious effects of social jetlag. Rats exposed to either social jetlag or unpredictable meals had impaired hippocampal-dependent memory. Activity data suggest that the social jetlag paradigm was unentrainable. Our social jetlag paradigm is a useful model of circadian misalignment that impairs cognition by rapidly uncoupling circadian rhythms from the environment.

摘要

鉴于昼夜节律紊乱在健康和疾病中的作用越来越大，需要动物模型来阐明所涉及的机制和影响。社交时差是一种轻度的慢性昼夜节律紊乱，涉及一个人的内部时间和外部时间表之间的错位。使用典型工作周的相位提前和延迟，周末睡眠猛增，我们提出了社交时差的动物模型。我们还通过操纵日常进餐的规律性和数量来研究食物可携带振荡器在学习和记忆中的作用。我们假设暴露于社交时差的大鼠会表现出认知障碍。目前尚不清楚持续进餐是否会改善社交时差的有害影响。暴露于社交时差或不可预测的膳食的大鼠会损害海马依赖性记忆。活动数据表明，社交时差范式是难以驾驭的。我们的社会时差范式是一种有用的昼夜节律失调模型，它通过将昼夜节律与环境快速分离来损害认知。