Circadian rhythms in auditory hallucinations and psychosis

Abstract

Circadian rhythms are imprinted in all organisms and influence virtually all aspects of physiology and behaviour in adaptation to the 24-hour day-night cycle. This recognition of a circadian timekeeping system permeating essentially all healthy functioning of body and mind quickly leads to the realisation that, in turn, human ailments should be probed for the degree to which they are rooted in or marked by disruptions and dysregulations of circadian clock functions in the human body. In this review, we will focus on psychosis as a key mental illness and foremost one of its cardinal symptoms: auditory hallucinations. We will discuss recent empirical evidence and conceptual advances probing the potential role of circadian disruption in auditory hallucinations. Moreover, a dysbalance in excitation and inhibition within cortical networks, which in turn drive a disinhibition of dopaminergic signalling will be highlighted as central physiological mechanism. Finally, we will propose two avenues for experimentally intervening on the circadian influences to potentially alleviate hallucinations in psychotic disorders.

Color in physiology

“…Sensory and perceptual alterations in humans occur on a wide spectrum, 2 ranging from physiological phenomena in response to everyday environmental 3 or hormonal 4 influences, to the aura symptoms in migraine patients, to severe, prolonged alterations that qualify as hallucinations. 5 Color perception is a fundamental aspect of the human experience. Colors, manifestations of different wavelengths of light, influence human emotions, behaviors and physiological responses.…”

“…Vision, scent, touch, sound, and taste, often in combination and/or simultaneously, help us interpret and adequately react to our environments. Sensory and perceptual alterations in humans occur on a wide spectrum, 2 ranging from physiological phenomena in response to everyday environmental 3 or hormonal 4 influences, to the aura symptoms in migraine patients, to severe, prolonged alterations that qualify as hallucinations 5 …”

Time for circadian medicine

“…Uncovering the fundamentals of this relationship will provide opportunities to identify targets for the prevention and treatment of these debilitating diseases. In this special issue, reviews focus on neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease, 33 Alzheimer's disease, 23 multiple sclerosis, 21 delirium, 22 psychosis, 34 and addiction 35 …”

“…Uncovering the fundamentals of this relationship will provide opportunities to identify targets for the prevention and treatment of these debilitating diseases. In this special issue, reviews focus on neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease, 33 Alzheimer's disease, 23 multiple sclerosis, 21 delirium, 22 psychosis, 34 and addiction. 35 In summary, this review series aims to demonstrate the ubiquity of the influence of the circadian clock and its disruption on health and disease, thereby contributing to the identification of the overarching principles that link the circadian clock and pathology in various organ and disease systems.…”