Neuroimmunological correlates of circadian rhythmicity in oral biology and medicine

Abstract

Sleep is a necessary behavior for physiological allostasis that is common to all vertebrates. Allostasis refers to the set of intertwined neuroendocrine-immune processes of bodily adaptation to stressful challenges during the wake cycle. The summative effects of these challenges, the allostatic load, signifies the total cost of wear and tear to the body. A finely regulated neuroimmunology of the sleep component of the circadian patterns is critical to the physiological repair mechanism required in allostasis (Solomon and Moos 1964; Solomon 1987; Sterling and Eyer 1988; Chrousos and Gold 1992; Kiecolt-Glaser, McGuire, Robles, and Glaser 2002; Irwin 2002; McEwen and Wingfield 2003; Schulkin 2003; Chiappelli and Cajulis 2004; Chiappelli et al. in press-c). © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.