"The telltale sign of circadian rhythm disruption—a problem with sleep—was present in each disorder," says Amal Alachkar. "While our focus was on widely known conditions including autism, ADHD, and bipolar disorder, we argue that the CRD psychopathology factor hypothesis can be generalized to other mental health issues, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, food addiction, and Parkinson's disease."vetre/shutterstock
Anxiety, autism, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome each have their own distinguishing characteristics, but a new study asks if circadian rhythm disruption may bridge these and most other mental disorders.
In a new study in the journal Translational Psychiatry, scientists hypothesize that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is a psychopathology factor that a broad range of mental illnesses share. Research into its molecular foundation could be key to unlocking better therapies and treatments.
