Université de Fribourg

The circadian clock, reward, and memory

Albrecht, Urs

In: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 2011, vol. 4, no. 41, p. -

During our daily activities, we experience variations in our cognitive performance, which is often accompanied by cravings for small rewards, such as consuming coffee or chocolate. This indicates that the time of day, cognitive performance, and reward may be related to one another. This review will summarize data that describe the influence of the circadian clock on addiction and mood-related...

Université de Fribourg

The opioid fentanyl affects light input, electrical activity and Per gene expression in the hamster suprachiasmatic nuclei

Vansteensel, Mariska J. ; Magnone, Maria Chiara ; Oosterhout, Floor van ; Baeriswyl, Stéphanie ; Albrecht, Urs ; Albus, Henk ; Dahan, Albert ; Meijer, Johanna H.

In: European Journal of Neuroscience, 2005, vol. 21(11), p. 2958

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) contain a major circadian pacemaker, which is regulated by photic and nonphotic stimuli. Although enkephalins are present in the SCN, their role in phase regulation of the pacemaker is largely unknown. The opioid agonist fentanyl, a homologue of morphine, is an addictive drug that induces phase shifts of circadian rhythms in hamsters. We observed that these phase...