Moore R Y
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15621, USA.
Annu Rev Med. 1997;48:253-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.med.48.1.253.
Circadian rhythms are major features of adaptation to our environment. In mammals, circadian rhythms are generated and regulated by a circadian timing system. This system consists of entertainment pathways, pacemakers, and pace-maker output to effector systems that are under circadian control. The primary entertainment pathway is the retinohypothalamic tract, which terminates in the circadian pacemakers, the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. The output of the suprachiasmatic nuclei is principally to the hypothalamus, the midline thalamus, and the basal forebrain. This provides a temporal organization to the sleep-wake cycle, to many physiological and endocrine functions, and to psychomotor performance functions. Disorders of circadian timing primarily affect entertainment and pacemaker functions. The pineal hormone, melatonin, appears to be promising agent for therapy of some circadian timing disorders.
昼夜节律是适应环境的主要特征。在哺乳动物中，昼夜节律由昼夜计时系统产生和调节。该系统由输入通路、起搏器以及起搏器向受昼夜节律控制的效应系统的输出组成。主要的输入通路是视网膜下丘脑束，它终止于昼夜起搏器，即下丘脑的视交叉上核。视交叉上核的输出主要作用于下丘脑、中线丘脑和基底前脑。这为睡眠-觉醒周期、许多生理和内分泌功能以及精神运动性能功能提供了时间组织。昼夜节律紊乱主要影响输入和起搏器功能。松果体激素褪黑素似乎是治疗某些昼夜节律紊乱的有前景的药物。
