Mammalian rest/activity patterns explained by physiologically based modeling

Andrew J K Phillips, Ben Fulcher, Peter Alexander Robinson, Elizabeth Klerman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are fundamental to life. In mammals, these rhythms are generated by pacemaker neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The SCN is remarkably consistent in structure and function between species, yet mammalian rest/activity patterns are extremely diverse, including diurnal, nocturnal, and crepuscular behaviors. Two mechanisms have been proposed to account for this diversity: (i) modulation of SCN output by downstream nuclei, and (ii) direct effects of light on activity.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere1003213
Number of pages10
JournalPLoS Computational Biology
Volume9
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes

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