Akerstedt T, Fröberg J E
Biol Psychol. 1979 Feb;8(1):69-80. doi: 10.1016/0301-0511(79)90005-x.
12 healthy male volunteers spent 64 h of continuous waking under strictly controlled environmental conditions (light, food, drink, activity) in isolation from the external world. Before and after the vigil the subjects slept in the laboratory. An additional group of five participated only during day time and spent the intervening night period asleep at home. Measurements were carried out in 3 h intervals except for sleep periods. Shortly before the circadian trough and peak of adrenaline excretion respectively, the subjects were exposed to a performance stressor. Results from the vigil showed a very pronounced circadian rhythm for adrenaline excretion but none for noradrenaline excretion. For adrenaline, night-time sleep reduced excretion levels, causing an even more pronounced circadian pattern. For noradrenaline, night-time sleep caused a drop in excretion giving the impression of a circadian rhythm. These and previous results led to the conclusion that the excretion of adrenaline exhibits a self-sustained rhythm while a rhythm in noradrenaline excretion is found only when caused by external synchronizers such as sleep-wake alternation. No difference in magnitude of stress response between peak and trough was observed for any of the catecholamines. Night-time (trough) exposure completely obliterated the circadian rhythm of adrenaline excretion for the duration of the exposure. It was concluded that the normal pronounced night-time trough of adrenaline cannot be due to unavailability of adrenaline in the medulla. With respect to sleep deprivation, no effect was found on excretion levels during waking, during sleep, or in response to the stressor as deprivation progressed. Finally, there was also found to be a close temporal covariation between adrenaline excretion and both rectal temperature and self-rated fatigue (neg.).
12名健康男性志愿者在与外界隔绝的严格控制的环境条件（光照、食物、饮料、活动）下持续清醒64小时。在守夜前后，受试者在实验室睡觉。另外一组五人只在白天参与，中间的夜间在家睡觉。除睡眠期间外，每隔3小时进行一次测量。分别在肾上腺素排泄的昼夜低谷和高峰前不久，让受试者承受一次行为应激源。守夜结果显示，肾上腺素排泄有非常明显的昼夜节律，而去甲肾上腺素排泄则没有。对于肾上腺素，夜间睡眠会降低排泄水平，从而导致昼夜模式更加明显。对于去甲肾上腺素，夜间睡眠会导致排泄量下降，给人一种昼夜节律的印象。这些结果以及之前的结果得出结论：肾上腺素的排泄呈现出一种自我维持的节律，而去甲肾上腺素排泄的节律只有在由外部同步器（如睡眠-觉醒交替）引起时才会出现。对于任何一种儿茶酚胺，在高峰和低谷之间未观察到应激反应幅度的差异。夜间（低谷）暴露在暴露期间完全消除了肾上腺素排泄的昼夜节律。得出的结论是，正常情况下明显的夜间肾上腺素低谷不可能是由于髓质中没有肾上腺素。关于睡眠剥夺，随着剥夺的进展，未发现对清醒期间、睡眠期间或对应激源的排泄水平有影响。最后，还发现肾上腺素排泄与直肠温度和自我评定的疲劳（负相关）之间存在密切的时间协变关系。
