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Diurnal Variation In Hippocampal Neurophysiology And Pathophysiology, Allison R. Fusilier

All ETDs from UAB

Circadian rhythms are ~24-hour cycles in biological processes that are endogenously generated, entrained to light, and synchronized by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. One process that is influenced by circadian rhythms is cognitive function, which varies over the course of the day and is likely influenced by changes in neuronal physiology over the course of the day. Dysfunction in circadian rhythms has been documented in many diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a neurodegenerative disease most notably characterized by dementia, amyloid beta plaques, and tau tangles. There is currently no cure for AD, and treatments only slow disease …