Exogenous Zeitgebers (CR)

Question 1

What is Chromotherapy in relation to circadian rhythms?

Answer 1

A real application of circadian rhythms in drug treatments

It involves studies on non-timing aspects of drug treatments.

Question 2

Why is the timing of medication important in chronotherapy?

Answer 2

Specific time patient takes their medication can significantly impact treatment success

Chronotherapeutic medication aims to align drug delivery with the body’s biological rhythms.

Question 3

What is a potential benefit of taking medication before sleep?

Answer 3

Drug released before vulnerable periods, such as early morning heart attack risk

This strategy aims to mitigate risks during critical times.

Question 4

What criticism has been leveled against research on circadian rhythms?

Answer 4

Lacking external validity, often conducted in artificial conditions

Results may not accurately reflect real-world scenarios.

Question 5

What might monitoring sleep patterns influence?

Answer 5

Could be a by-product of being monitored, rather than the effect of the zeitgeber/pacemaker

This raises questions about the validity of sleep studies.

Question 6

What is entrainment in the context of circadian rhythms?

Answer 6

An adjustment of the body clock to align with environmental cues

Set lag refers to the adjustment period required for synchronization.

Question 7

How did Klein and Wagmann contribute to understanding entrainment?

Answer 7

Entrainment: an adjustment of the body clock in line with the environment.

Found that air travelers adjusted more quickly if exposed to social cues at their destinations (went outside more at their destinations)
This suggests social cues can act as effective zeitgebers.

Question 8

Define exogenous zeitgebers.

Answer 8

Factors outside your body that influence rhythms, such as light and temperature

These include environmental cues that can affect biological clocks.

Question 9

What experiment did Campbell and Murphy conduct?

Answer 9

Monitored body temperatures of volunteers while introducing light during the night

They found that light exposure disrupted circadian rhythms significantly.

Question 10

What were the findings of Steel et al’s investigation on constant daylight?

Answer 10

5 out of 6 participants developed a free-running sleep cycle longer than 24 hours

This indicates individual variability in sleep patterns and suggests social cues may have limited effects.