THE STUDY OF BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS: BASIC CONCEPTS

The relationship between light emitted by the sun and biological structures of the living organism is periodically synchronized in the form of rhythms that are able to organize physiological, cognitive and behavioral functions of the central nervous system. In this way, the oscillation between light and darkness play an important role in the causal relationship between brain and behavior. The aim of the present chapters is to bridge basic research in chronobiology and clinical practice. The approach presented is to study the endogenous functions and exogenous effects of circadian rhythm on sleep-wake behavior in humans, as well as to show molecular aspects of visual processing from a clinical perspective of chronobiology.