title: Resynchronization of circadian oscillators and the east-west asymmetry of jet-lag.
abstract: Cells in the brain's Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) are known to regulate circadian rhythms in mammals. We model synchronization of SCN cells using the forced Kuramoto model, which consists of a large population of coupled phase oscillators (modeling individual SCN cells) with heterogeneous intrinsic frequencies and external periodic forcing. Here, the periodic forcing models diurnally varying external inputs such as sunrise, sunset, and alarm clocks. We reduce the dimensionality of the system using the ansatz of Ott and Antonsen and then study the effect of a sudden change of clock phase to simulate cross-time-zone travel. We estimate model parameters from previous biological experiments. By examining the phase space dynamics of the model, we study the mechanism leading to the difference typically experienced in the severity of jet-lag resulting from eastward and westward travel.
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Zhixin
authors: Z
authors: Lu
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Klein-Cardeña
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Thomas M
authors: TM
authors: Antonsen
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Girvan
authors: Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Ott
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D020179:Jet Lag Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013493:Suprachiasmatic Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology; D014195:Travel