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1 Department of Neurobiology
and Physiology and Center for Circadian Biology and Medicine,
Syrian
hamsters display age-related changes in the expression of circadian
rhythms and in responsiveness of the circadian system to photic and
nonphotic stimuli. This study characterized the effects of age on the
locomotor activity rhythm of middle-aged and old hamsters and evaluated
the effects of strengthening the entraining light signal. Compared with
young (4.5 mo) animals, middle-aged (11.25 mo) and old (16 mo) animals
displayed increased daily bouts of activity
(P < 0.001) and reduced total daily
activity and activity rhythm amplitude
(P < 0.05) in 14:10-h light-dark cycles. After the light intensity was increased from 300 to 1,500 lx
during the light cycle, middle-aged hamsters demonstrated decreased daily activity bouts (P < 0.05) and
increased total daily activity (P
0.01) and activity rhythm amplitude (P
0.001) compared with controls maintained in 300 lx. The pattern of
changes in the activity rhythm of old experimental animals was similar
to trends observed in middle-aged experimental hamsters, although not
as robust. Thus age-related changes in the activity rhythm are
occurring by middle age in hamsters, and the provision of stronger
entraining signals may lead to more stable circadian organization.
aging; circadian activity rhythm
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