CORE--CHRONOBIOLOGY LABORATORY

时间生物学核心是由压倒一切的假设指导的，即 老年心境障碍的发病、病程和转归与 各种状态和特征变量，可以通过一些相同的 用于检查睡眠和生物节律的技术和方法 在健康的受试者中。通过在调查之前和期间评估这些变量 疗程，并将它们与临床措施联系起来，这是 假设可以尽可能地获得更好的理解 各种治疗方式的作用机制以及潜在的 老年易感性和恢复的生理学预测因子 抑郁症。核心将履行自然界的科学使命 通过测试关于结果、机制和 老年情感性精神障碍的治疗。结果。生理学 测量包括清醒定量脑电(QEEG)和24小时性激素 水平，将由我们的核心进行调查，以确定它们是否可以预测 发生的时间以及临床恢复的时间。两条基线 纵向评估将与以下项目的相应数据相结合 其他CRC核心评估是否存在qEEG或性激素 结果的相关性，如痴呆症，残疾，慢性病， 复发，复发，或死亡。机械装置。时间生物学的核心意志 健康老年人昼夜节律性的年龄相关性变化特征 个人。这些努力将为澄清 增加老年人易感性的可能机制 情绪障碍。治疗。通过继续检验关于 电休克治疗的时间生物学效应及其相互关系 对于治疗疗效的影响，时间生物学核心寻求进一步 对时间生物学原理如何调节这一点的理解 治疗老年性抑郁症，也许还可以概述一下其他方法 哪些时间生物学原理可以加强对老年人的治疗 抑郁症。QEEG、性激素水平和昼夜节律的测量 变量为这一CRC增加了一个独特的科学维度。整合 这些数据与病理生理学、心理学和社会学部提供的服务 临床精神药理学核心预计将产生额外的 可测试的概念，以促进我们对病因和 老年心境障碍的治疗。

The Chronobiology Core is guided by the overriding hypothesis that the onset, course and outcome of geriatric mood disorders are associated with various state and trait variables that can be measured by some of the same techniques and methodologies used to examine sleep and biological rhythms in healthy subjects. By assessing these variables prior to and during the course of treatment, and relating them to clinical measures, it is hypothesized that a better understanding can be gained as possible mechanisms of action of various treatment modalities, as well as potential physiological predictors of susceptibility to and recovery from late-life depression. The Core will carry out the scientific mandate of the nature CRC by testing specific hypotheses concerning outcomes, mechanisms, and treatment of geriatric affective disorders. Outcomes. Physiological measures, including waking quantitative EEG (qEEG) and 24-hour sex hormone levels, will be investigated by our Core to determine if they can predict the occurrence of, as well as the time to clinical recovery. Both baseline and longitudinal assessments will be combined with corresponding data from other CRC Cores to evaluate whether there are qEEG or sex hormone correlates of outcomes such as dementia, disability, chronicity, recurrence relapse, or mortality. Mechanisms. The Chronobiology Core will characterize age-related changes in circadian rhythmicity in healthy older individuals. These efforts will lay the groundwork for elucidating putative mechanisms involved in increasing the vulnerability to geriatric mood disorders. Treatment. By continuing to test hypothesis concerning the chronobiological effects of electroconvulsive therapy, and relating these effects to treatment efficacy, the Chronobiology Core seeks to further the understanding of how chronobiological principles may mediate this treatment of geriatric depression, and perhaps outline other means by which chronobiological principles may enhance treatments of geriatric depression. Measurement of qEEG, sex hormone levels, and circadian rhythm variables add a unique scientific dimension to this CRC. The integration of these data with services provided by the Pathophysiology, Psychosocial and Clinical Psychopharmacology Cores is expected to generate additional testable concepts to facilitate our understanding of the etiology and treatment of geriatric mood disorders.