A new study from McGill University shows that increases in the concentrations of blood sodium can have an influence on the biological clock of mice, opening new research avenues for potentially treating the negative effects associated with long distance travel or shift work.

The findings, published in Nature by former McGill PhD student Claire Gizowski and Charles Bourque, a professor in McGill’s Department of Neurology-Neurosurgery, are the first to show that injecting mice with a salt solution leads to the activation of neurons associated with the brain’s master circadian clock – the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

Our biological clock – or circadian rhythm - adapts our body’s cells and organs to changing requirements at different times of day. Prolonged disruption of these rhythms because of jetlag or shift work can lead to adverse health effects.