Biomaterial Database

The circadian system and affective disorders: clocks or rhythms? 1990

D Healy, and J M Waterhouse

Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge Clinical School, U.K.

There have been a number of proposals that a pathology of the circadian system involving clock functioning underlies the affective disorders. It is argued that neither current findings from research into the neurophysiological substrates of the affective disorders, recent clinical findings regarding these illnesses or their phenomenology support such a contention. This does not mean however that there is not a primary pathological disturbance of the circadian system at the heart of the affective disorders. The same neurophysiological, phenomenological and clinical evidence can be offered in favour of a disturbance of circadian rhythms in the presence of grossly normal clock functioning. The research and remedial implications of this alternative are outlined briefly.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008027	Light	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared range.	Light, Visible,Photoradiation,Radiation, Visible,Visible Radiation,Photoradiations,Radiations, Visible,Visible Light,Visible Radiations
D008960	Models, Psychological	Theoretical representations that simulate psychological processes and/or social processes. These include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Model, Mental,Model, Psychological,Models, Mental,Models, Psychologic,Psychological Models,Mental Model,Mental Models,Model, Psychologic,Psychologic Model,Psychologic Models,Psychological Model
D010507	Periodicity	The tendency of a phenomenon to recur at regular intervals; in biological systems, the recurrence of certain activities (including hormonal, cellular, neural) may be annual, seasonal, monthly, daily, or more frequently (ultradian).	Cyclicity,Rhythmicity,Biological Rhythms,Bioperiodicity,Biorhythms,Biological Rhythm,Bioperiodicities,Biorhythm,Cyclicities,Periodicities,Rhythm, Biological,Rhythmicities,Rhythms, Biological
D011603	Psychophysiology	The study of the physiological basis of human and animal behavior.	Mind-Body Relations (Physiology),Psychology, Physiological,Mind-Body Relationship (Physiology),Physiologic Psychology,Physiological Psychology,Psychology, Physiologic,Mind Body Relations (Physiology),Mind Body Relationship (Physiology),Mind-Body Relation (Physiology),Mind-Body Relationships (Physiology),Physiologic Psychologies,Psychologies, Physiologic,Relation, Mind-Body (Physiology),Relations, Mind-Body (Physiology),Relationship, Mind-Body (Physiology),Relationships, Mind-Body (Physiology)
D002940	Circadian Rhythm	The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs or environmental and physiological stimuli.	Diurnal Rhythm,Nyctohemeral Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythm,Nycthemeral Rhythm,Circadian Rhythms,Diurnal Rhythms,Nycthemeral Rhythms,Nyctohemeral Rhythms,Rhythm, Circadian,Rhythm, Diurnal,Rhythm, Nycthemeral,Rhythm, Nyctohemeral,Rhythm, Twenty-Four Hour,Rhythms, Circadian,Rhythms, Diurnal,Rhythms, Nycthemeral,Rhythms, Nyctohemeral,Rhythms, Twenty-Four Hour,Twenty Four Hour Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythms
D003624	Darkness	The absence of light.	Darknesses
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001683	Biological Clocks	The physiological mechanisms that govern the rhythmic occurrence of certain biochemical, physiological, and behavioral phenomena.	Biological Oscillators,Oscillators, Endogenous,Pacemakers, Biological,Biologic Clock,Biologic Oscillator,Biological Pacemakers,Clock, Biologic,Clocks, Biological,Oscillator, Biologic,Oscillators, Biological,Pacemaker, Biologic,Pacemakers, Biologic,Biologic Clocks,Biologic Oscillators,Biologic Pacemaker,Biologic Pacemakers,Biological Clock,Biological Oscillator,Biological Pacemaker,Clock, Biological,Clocks, Biologic,Endogenous Oscillator,Endogenous Oscillators,Oscillator, Biological,Oscillator, Endogenous,Oscillators, Biologic,Pacemaker, Biological
D012931	Social Environment	The aggregate of social and cultural institutions, forms, patterns, and processes that influence the life of an individual or community.	Social Context,Environment, Social,Social Ecology,Context, Social,Contexts, Social,Ecologies, Social,Ecology, Social,Environments, Social,Social Contexts,Social Ecologies,Social Environments
D019964	Mood Disorders	Those disorders that have a disturbance in mood as their predominant feature.	Affective Disorders,Affective Disorder,Disorder, Affective,Disorder, Mood,Disorders, Affective,Disorders, Mood,Mood Disorder