Vol 5 n° 4 - Chronobiology and Mood Disorders
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ear Colleagues, The concept of chronobiology combines the notion of rhythms with objective phe- nomena reflecting the functioning of the living organism. Rhythms give a framework to this functioning and are of great importance to our everyday life. Indeed, rhythms are present due to night and daylight cycles, meal periodicity, and social interactions, and even  in  the  work  place.  All  these  synchronizers—for  which  the  German  word “Zeitgeber” is often used, as a result of Jürgen Aschoff’s seminal research—leave an imprint on our lives.There are endogenous rhythms that correspond to these exogenous rhythms, such as sleep-wake cycles, rhythms in hormonal secretions, and other biologi- cal rhythms in general. In pathophysiology, some rhythms acquire an abnormal character, and some dis- orders exhibit specific rhythms. Examples include recurring episodes of manic-depres- sive illness, schizoaffective psychoses, and recurrent depression. The understanding of this “chronological symptomatology” and its correlation with chronobiology is essential for two reasons. First, clinically or biologically suitable mark- ers must be defined, and, second, treatments stimulating or regulating rhythms must be devised. For instance, rhythms may be stimulated by antidepressant drugs in depression, or regulated by chronobiotic substances, such as mood-regulating drugs. We are convinced of the importance of a progress report on the current state of the art in these various fields, and we believe that the articles in this issue will provide plenty of food for thought. Yours sincerely, Jean-Paul Macher, MD Marc-Antoine Crocq, MD E d i t o r i a l D 3 0 9