活生物体中的许多生理和行为过程表现出强烈的节律性,并在24小时周期内受到调节。这些包括运动活动和睡眠模式,进食-禁食周期,激素合成,体温,甚至情绪和认知能力,所有这些都分为不同的阶段。这些过程由内部定时系统管理,在所有生物体中保守的分层多振荡器结构,从细菌到人类虽然这些节奏是内在的,他们受到环境影响,例如季节性温度变化,光周期变异,和昼夜循环。在设计和报告实验时,认识到生物节律的存在及其主要的外部影响至关重要。忽略这些生理变化可能会导致不一致的发现和误解。因此,在这里,我们建议将生物节律纳入人类和动物研究的所有阶段,包括实验设计,分析,并报告调查结果。我们还提供了一个流程图,以支持设计过程中的决策,考虑到生物的节律性,以及一份清单,概述了在整个研究中应考虑和记录的关键因素。这种全面的方法不仅有利于时间生物学领域,而且对其他各种研究学科也有价值。从这项研究中获得的见解有可能提高有效性,再现性,和科学研究的总体质量,为规划提供宝贵的指导,发展,和传播科学研究。
Numerous physiological and behavioral processes in living organisms exhibit strong rhythmicity and are regulated within a 24-hour cycle. These include locomotor activity and sleep patterns, feeding-fasting cycles, hormone synthesis, body temperature, and even mood and cognitive abilities, all of which are segregated into different phases throughout the day. These processes are governed by the internal timing system, a hierarchical multi-oscillator structure conserved across all organisms, from bacteria to humans. Circadian rhythms have been seen across multiple taxonomic kingdoms. In mammals, a hierarchical internal timing system is comprised of so-called central and periphereal clocks. Although these rhythms are intrinsic, they are under environmental influences, such as seasonal temperature changes, photoperiod variations, and day-night cycles. Recognizing the existence of biological rhythms and their primary external influences is crucial when designing and reporting experiments. Neglecting these physiological variations may result in inconsistent findings and misinterpretations. Thus, here we propose to incorporate biological rhythms into all stages of human and animal research, including experiment design, analysis, and reporting of findings. We also provide a flowchart to support decision-making during the design process, considering biological rhythmicity, along with a checklist outlining key factors that should be considered and documented throughout the
study. This comprehensive approach not only benefits the field of chronobiology but also holds value for various other research disciplines. The insights gained from this
study have the potential to enhance the validity, reproducibility, and overall quality of scientific investigations, providing valuable guidance for planning, developing, and communicating scientific studies.