Neurobiological studies of fatigue

Fatigue is a symptom associated with many disorders, is especially common in women and in older adults, and can have a huge negative influence on quality of life. Although most past research on fatigue uses human subjects instead of animal models, the use of appropriate animal models has recently be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inProgress in neurobiology Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 93 - 105
Main Author Harrington, Mary E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.11.2012
Subjects
Animal models
Animals
Arousal
Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System - physiopathology
Brain
Brain - anatomy & histology
Brain - immunology
Brain - physiopathology
Chemokines
Cytokines
Disease Models, Animal
Executive function
Fatigue
Fatigue - immunology
Fatigue - physiopathology
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - immunology
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - physiopathology
Firing rate
Humans
Microglia
Nervous system
Neural networks
Neurobiology - methods
Neurobiology - trends
Physical training
Quality of life
Reinforcement
Sleep
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
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Summary:Fatigue is a symptom associated with many disorders, is especially common in women and in older adults, and can have a huge negative influence on quality of life. Although most past research on fatigue uses human subjects instead of animal models, the use of appropriate animal models has recently begun to advance our understanding of the neurobiology of fatigue. In this review, results from animal models using immunological, developmental, or physical approaches to study fatigue are described and compared. Common across these animal models is that fatigue arises when a stimulus induces activation of microglia and/or increased cytokines and chemokines in the brain. Neurobiological studies implicate structures in the ascending arousal system, sleep executive control areas, and areas important in reward. In addition, the suprachiasmatic nucleus clearly plays an important role in homeostatic regulation of the neural network mediating fatigue. This nucleus responds to cytokines, shows decreased amplitude firing rate output in models of fatigue, and responds to exercise, one of our few treatments for fatigue. This is a young field but very important as the symptom of fatigue is common across many disorders and we do not have effective treatments.
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ISSN:0301-0082
1873-5118
DOI:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.07.004