This Love Your Brain Session by Ilia Karatsoreos, USA, was recorded on 23 September 2024 at the 37th ECNP Congress in Milan, Italy.
Circadian rhythms are found at all levels of biological organisation. Understanding how these rhythms contribute to the normal function of cells, systems, and circuits is critical, as uncovering these mechanisms could lead to a better understanding of how circadian desynchronisation negatively impacts mental and physical health. Using approaches that span molecular, cellular, and whole organism levels, this talk explores the role of circadian rhythms in both normal and abnormal function.
Special attention is given to the neurobehavioral and physiological costs and consequences of disrupted circadian clocks, including impacts on sleep, brain-immune interactions, and metabolism, emphasising the complexity and broad nature of brain-body interactions. This talk presents unpublished and published work highlighting how metabolic state and fundamental properties of neurons in the prefrontal cortex change depending on the time of day, and how environmental disruptions perturb these processes.
New data on how biological time impacts immune function both in the periphery and in response to brain infection, with a special emphasis on the potential role of microglia, is also presented. In summary, this presentation highlights the fundamental role that biological timing plays in maintaining a healthy brain and underscores that brain-body interactions are a critical component of mental and physical health.
Views and opinions expressed in these videos are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official position of ECNP. The content of these videos should not be used in any way as the basis for treatment decisions.
