How Jet-Lag Hormone Does Double Duty in the Brain
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TL;DR
Results suggest that melatonin works by turning down the activity of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the part of the brain that contains the circadian clock, and thereby tempering the SCN's potent drive for wakefulness.
Abstract
BIOLOGICAL CLOCKSWhen given as drug, the hormone melatonin can be quite effective in alleviating jet lag. How it does this has been unclear, but new results suggests that it works by turning down the activity of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the part of the brain that contains the circadian clock, and thereby tempering the SCN's potent drive for wakefulness.