Signaling Pathways and Brain Circuitry Underlying Circadian Rhythms and Sleep

About this Research Topic

Background

Circadian rhythms are internal processes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Indeed, one such process that this endogenous timekeeping system helps to modulate is the sleep-wake cycle. At the center of this timing process is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus which functions as the body's master circadian clock. Over the past several decades, much work has been put into teasing apart the intracellular signaling pathways and the brain circuits that modulate circadian clock timing and the sleep-wake cycle. Such pathways help with the entrainment of circadian rhythms, the process in which the body aligns the endogenous oscillator to the external environment/stimuli. Similarly, many circuits within the hypothalamus (and other brain regions) function to help modulate physiological and behavioral processes as a function of time-of-day.

The overall goal of this issue is to collect data highlighting the most recent findings on the circuits and pathways that may underlie, or modulate, circadian rhythms and sleep to better inform the scientific community on mechanistic findings in the field.

The scope of this research topic is to provide advances in the underlying neural circuitry and cellular processes that modulate circadian rhythms in behavior and physiology, in addition to sleep, and/or sleep-related disorders. Along these lines, submissions should relate to the cellular-level or circuit-based mechanisms that regulate circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior, and/or sleep. This collection aims to include publications as both primary/original research and review articles on the following topics (though additional topics can also be included):

1) Basic, translational, or clinical research that aims to disentangle the neuroanatomical underpinnings or circuit-level tracing of processes modulated by the circadian clock (such as sleep).

2) Studies or reviews that produce data or highlight data demonstrating the intracellular signaling events that may modulate circadian or sleep-related processes (or diseases/disorders).

3) Mathematical modeling-based techniques for understanding brain circuitry of sleep and circadian rhythms.

4) Studies that highlight potential pharmacological therapeutic targets or signaling molecules that may aid in treating individuals with circadian and/or sleep-related disorders.

Keywords: Circadian, Sleep, Signaling, Cellular, Circuitry, Brain

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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