Team Kunz – Sleep Research
The area Sleep- & Chronomedicine has received increasing attention in recent years. This is due, on the one hand, to the established functions of sleep (coordination of metabolic processes, integration of immune systems, promotion of neuronal maturation and plasticity, including memory consolidation and learning processes), and on the other hand to the growing evidence that disturbances of the circadian system are partial phenomena of and causes for many disorders (e.g. diseases associated with shift work). It is important to note that diagnostic methods and therapeutic options are now available, which also form the basis for translational research in both areas.
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Sleep- & Chronomedicine
The Group Sleep Research & Clinical Chronobiology of the Institute of Physiology (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) is located at the St. Hedwig Hospital within the Clinic for Sleep & Chronomedicine (Head: Dr. D. Kunz). The group ´s emphasis lies on the use of chronobiological methods (eg. constant routine protocol), the promising area of light and health, as well as in the treatment of REM-sleep behavior disorder as precursor of synucleinopathies (e.g. Lewy body dementia, multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease).
The section ´light & health' (led by PD Dr. M. Münch) is an extension of the research area of Clinical Chronobiology and includes the investigation of light effects on psychology and health as well as its application in healthy persons and patients. Both basic experiments in the laboratory as well as applied studies under semi-naturalistic conditions are carried out. This is done in collaboration with other working groups at the Charité (Prof. Dr. Achim Kramer, Institute of Medical Immunology) as well as abroad.
