Researchers: Circadian rhythm offers clues in brain injury recovery
A group of researchers at the University of Surrey are studying the role of the body’s circadian rhythm in relation to recovery of consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries. An article posted on the Psych Central website says that the circadian body temperature holds vital clues to the state of a brain injury patient’s […]
A group of researchers at the University of Surrey are studying the role of the body’s circadian rhythm in relation to recovery of consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries.
An article posted on the Psych Central website says that the circadian body temperature holds vital clues to the state of a brain injury patient’s consciousness. Learning more about the relation could possibly enable doctors to tailor medical treatments more effectively.
Circadian rhythm (also known as your sleep/wake cycle or body clock) is a natural, internal system that’s designed to regulate feelings of sleepiness and wakefulness over a 24-hour period, according to an article on the Sleep-Science website.
This complex timekeeper is controlled by an area of the brain that responds to light, which is why humans are most alert while the sun is shining and are ready to sleep when it’s dark outside.
Core body temperature tends to fluctuate throughout the day.
“Prior to our study little was known about the circadian rhythms of patients with brain injuries,” co-researcher Dr. Nayantara Santhi from the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey said in the article. “What we have learned is that the circadian body temperature holds vital clues to the state of consciousness of patients which could potentially enable doctors to tailor medical treatment more effectively. Circadian rhythms hold the secret to the workings of the body and we will be looking further into this in future research.”
The study shows that patients who scored better on a Coma Recovery Scale-Revised had body temperature patterns more closely aligned with a healthy 24-hour rhythm.
Results of the study confirm a relationship between circadian body temperature changes and the level of consciousness of a brain injury patient.
“This new finding suggests that a patient’s consciousness levels should be assessed during time windows when their circadian rhythm predicts they will be more responsive,” the article reads.
The researchers also investigated the effects of bright light stimulation on patients with severe brain injuries.
