Circadian rhythm alterations affecting the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases

• Published in: Journal of neurochemistry Vol. 168; no. 8; pp. 1475 - 1489
• Main Authors: Canever, Jaquelini Betta, Queiroz, Letícia Yoshitome, Soares, Ericks Sousa, Avelar, Núbia Carelli Pereira, Cimarosti, Helena Iturvides
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Animals; Ataxia; Atrophy; Circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Circadian rhythms; Disease; Genetic factors; Homeostasis; Humans; Huntington's disease; Huntingtons disease; Immunological memory; Machado-Joseph disease; Mental disorders; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Movement disorders; Multiple sclerosis; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neurodegenerative Diseases - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Pathogenesis; Physiological effects; spinocerebellar ataxia; synucleinopathies; Huntington's disease; Alzheimer's disease; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; spinocerebellar ataxia; synucleinopathies; multiple sclerosis
• DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15883
• ISSN: 0022-3042; 1471-4159

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. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), and multiple‐system atrophy (MSA) dysregulate clock genes, which leads to sleep disturbances and can also exacerbate these diseases. In PD, the decrease in clock genes leads to oxidative stress. In AD, this disturbance leads to an increase in tau phosphorylation. In HD, it intensifies the accumulation of mutant huntingtin, and in MSA, it impairs dopaminergic signaling. These alterations act as a feedback loop, exacerbating neurodegenerative diseases.