Journal of neurochemistryJun 26, 2023

Changes in daily body clocks linked to brain diseases that get worse over time

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 25, 2026

Abstract

Dysregulation of the circadian rhythm is associated with various neurodegenerative diseases.

Circadian rhythms are critical for maintaining metabolic regulation and memory consolidation.
Disruptions in circadian rhythms may contribute to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and premature death.
Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in circadian function may play important roles in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.
This review focuses on recent findings regarding circadian rhythm dysregulation in conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Understanding the relationship between circadian rhythm dysregulation and neurodegenerative diseases could provide potential targets for new interventions.

Simplified

The circadian rhythm is a nearly 24-h oscillation found in various physiological processes in the human brain and body that is regulated by environmental and genetic factors. It is responsible for maintaining body homeostasis and it is critical for essential functions, such as metabolic regulation and memory consolidation. Dysregulation in the circadian rhythm can negatively impact human health, resulting in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and premature death. Emerging evidence points to a relationship between the dysregulation circadian rhythm and neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting that the alterations in circadian function might play crucial roles in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Better understanding this association is of paramount importance to expand the knowledge on the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as, to provide potential targets for the development of new interventions based on the dysregulation of circadian rhythm. Here we review the latest findings on dysregulation of circadian rhythm alterations in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, spinocerebellar ataxia and multiple-system atrophy, focusing on research published in the last 3 years.

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Changes in daily body clocks linked to brain diseases that get worse over time

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