Oct. 28, 2009 Anyone who has pulled an all-nighter or flown
across an ocean knows you can’t mess up your sleep schedule
without unpleasant consequences. New research in mice now shows
that throwing off natural circadian rhythms over the long term
can seriously disturb the body and brain, causing weight gain
and impulsive behavior. It seems even to make mice dumber, or at
least slower at solving new mazes. A new study has found that
chronic disruption of one of the most basic circadian (daily)
rhythms -- the day/night cycle -- leads to weight gain,
impulsivity, slower thinking, and other physiological and
behavioral changes in mice, similar to those observed in people
who experience shift work or jet lag. The research, presented at
Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for
Neuroscience is helping scientists better understand the
neurobiological mechanisms behind circadian disruptions. "Our
findings have implications for humans," said lead author Ilia
Karatsoreos, PhD, of Rockefeller University.