http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Twenty-four hour cycles, known as circadian rhythms, are important for proper body functions, including for normal brain function and mental health. Disruptions of circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles have been observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A new study by Douglas Institute researchers unravels a possible basis for these perturbations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-disruptions-daily-rhythms-alzheimer-patients.html Neuroscience Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:45:37 EST news223126840 The circadian system that controls normal sleep patterns is regulated by a group of glial brain cells called astrocytes, according to a study published online on April 14th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Neuroscientists from Tufts University School of Medicine found that disruption of astrocyte function in fruit flies (Drosophila) led to altered daily rhythms, an indication that these star-shaped glial cells contribute to the control of circadian behavior. These results provide, for the first time, a tractable genetic model to study the role of astrocytes in circadian rhythms and sleep disorders. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-star-brain-circadian-rhythms.html Medical research Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:34:17 EST news222006846 (PhysOrg.com) -- Have you ever wondered why grandma and grandpa head to bed early but are up with the sun every morning? A new study by Lucia Pagani and Steven A. Brown of the University of Zurich recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences may have the answers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-hormones-tied-elderly-problems.html Medical research Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:44:52 EST news221834645