Free running period affected by network structures of suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons exposed to constant light

Abstract

Exposed to the natural light-dark cycle, 24 h rhythms exist in behavioral and physiological processes of living beings. Interestingly, under constant darkness or constant light, living beings can maintain a robust endogenous rhythm with a free running period (FRP) close to 24 h. In mammals, the circadian rhythm is coordinated by a master clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain, which is composed of about twenty thousand self-oscillating neurons. These SCN neurons form a heterogenous network to output a robust rhythm. Thus far, the exact network topology of the SCN neurons is unknown. In this article, we examine the effect of the SCN network structure on the FRP when exposed to constant light by a Poincaré model. Four typical network structures are considered, including a nearest-neighbor coupled network, a Newman–Watts small world network, an ErdÖs–Rényi random network and a Barabási–Albert (BA) scale free network. The results show that the FRP is longest in the BA network, because the BA network is characterized by the most heterogeneous structure among these four types of networks. These findings are not affected by the average node degree of the SCN network or the value of relaxation rate of the SCN neuronal oscillators. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how the network structure of the SCN neurons influences the FRP.