Jet Lag News and Research

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Jet lag, medically referred to as "desynchronosis," is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to circadian rhythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Neuroscientist discovers how animal's biological clock wakes up, goes to sleep

Fifteen years ago, an odd mutant fruit fly caught the attention and curiosity of Dr. Ravi Allada, a circadian rhythms expert at Northwestern University, leading the neuroscientist to recently discover how an animal's biological clock wakes it up in the morning and puts it to sleep at night.

14 Aug 2015

Study finds evidence that gut microbes affect circadian rhythms, metabolism in mice

A study including researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago found evidence that gut microbes affect circadian rhythms and metabolism in mice.

5 Aug 2015

New study shows frequent travel promotes stress, loneliness, and long-term health problems

Researchers from the University of Surrey and Lund University (Sweden) investigated how frequent, long-distance travel is represented in mass and social media.

4 Aug 2015

Elderberry supplement can provide protection from cold, flu-like symptoms following long-haul flights

The negative health effects of international air travel are well documented but now it seems that the common elderberry can provide some relief.

22 Jul 2015

ITbM researchers find new molecules that change circadian rhythm in mammals

A team of chemists and biologists at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University have succeeded in finding new molecules that change the circadian rhythm in mammals by applying synthetic chemistry methods, which makes use of highly selective metal catalysts.

10 Jun 2015

UC Santa Cruz-led study offers new insights into molecular mechanisms of biological clock

A new study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers has found that a protein associated with cancer cells is a powerful suppressor of the biological clock that drives the daily ("circadian") rhythms of cells throughout the body.

3 Jun 2015

Discovery of molecular reset button for internal body clock could help treat different disorders

An international team of scientists has discovered what amounts to a molecular reset button for our internal body clock. Their findings reveal a potential target to treat a range of disorders, from sleep disturbances to other behavioral, cognitive, and metabolic abnormalities, commonly associated with jet lag, shift work and exposure to light at night, as well as with neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression and autism.

28 Apr 2015

Colour of light influences how the brain clock measures time of day

Research by scientists at The University of Manchester has revealed that the colour of light has a major impact on how the brain clock measures time of day and on how the animals' physiology and behavior adjust accordingly. The study, for the first time, provides a neuronal mechanism for how our internal clock can measure changes in light colour that accompany dawn and dusk.

20 Apr 2015

UT Southwestern neuroscientists identify key brain cells that control circadian rhythms

UT Southwestern Medical Center neuroscientists have identified key cells within the brain that are critical for determining circadian rhythms, the 24-hour processes that control sleep and wake cycles, as well as other important body functions such as hormone production, metabolism, and blood pressure.

18 Mar 2015

UC Irvine researchers discover inner mechanisms of jet lag

Long the stuff of science fiction, the disembodied "brain in a jar" is providing science fact for UC Irvine researchers, who by studying the whole brains of fruit flies are discovering the inner mechanisms of jet lag.

10 Mar 2015

Vanderbilt researchers discover new reset button for the brain's master biological clock

The discovery of a new reset button for the brain's master biological clock could eventually lead to new treatments for conditions like seasonal affective disorder, reduce the adverse health effects of working the night shift and possibly even cure jet lag.

3 Feb 2015

Researchers help to gain greater insight into biological clock that sets pace for daily life

Casey Diekman, assistant professor of mathematical sciences at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), is helping to gain greater insight into the biological clock that sets the pace for daily life.

27 Aug 2014

Research shows long non-coding RNAs regulate circadian clocks

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found a new way that internal body clocks are regulated by a type of molecule known as long non-coding RNA.

19 Aug 2014

Scientists identify gene that regulates sleep and wake rhythms

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that regulates sleep and wake rhythms.

14 Aug 2014

Scientists discover link between circadian clock disturbances and inflammatory diseases

A disruption of circadian rhythms, when combined with a high-fat, high-sugar diet, may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease and other harmful conditions, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

22 May 2014

Johns Hopkins research may help manage the disruptive effects experienced by shift workers

Johns Hopkins researchers report that they have identified a protein essential to the formation of the tiny brain region in mice that coordinates sleep-wake cycles and other so-called circadian rhythms.

26 Apr 2014

Irregular sleep timing disrupts daily rhythms of our genes

A new study from the University of Surrey, published today in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), found that the daily rhythms of our genes are disrupted when sleep times shift.

21 Jan 2014

Study reveals benefits of bright light in treating anxiety

The bright light headset maker Valkee today announced the results of a new groundbreaking bright light study, showing statistically significant positive results in acutely alleviating anxiety symptoms. The world's first randomized, fully sham-controlled double blind trial of bright light treatment administered via ear canals brings sought-after new data to support the bright light studies carried out internationally since the 1980s.

21 Nov 2013

Discovery could rev up body's immune response to infection, autoimmune diseases

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report that disrupting the light-dark cycle of mice increased their susceptibility to inflammatory disease, indicating that the production of a key immune cell is controlled by the body's circadian clock.

8 Nov 2013

Children with irregular bedtimes more likely to have behavioural difficulties

Researchers from UCL have found that children with irregular bedtimes are more likely to have behavioural difficulties.

14 Oct 2013