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TEACHING IN THE LABORATORY

How to engage medical students in chronobiology: an example on autorhythmometry

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. A. Madrid, Dept. of Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Univ. of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain (E-mail: jamadrid{at}um.es)

This contribution describes a new laboratory experience that improves medical students’ learning of chronobiology by introducing them to basic chronobiology concepts as well as to methods and statistical analysis tools specific for circadian rhythms. We designed an autorhythmometry laboratory session where students simultaneously played the role of researchers and experimental subjects. During this session, which lasted 24 h, students recorded their own arterial pressure, heart rate, oral temperature, forced expiratory flow, glucose tolerance, muscular strength, reaction time, and sensorimotor coordination at regular intervals and also took the Horne and Östberg test, after which they analyzed their own data. Furthermore, to gather information from subjects under normal sleep and eating schedules, some students acquired data at home. To guide and help students with their work, a dedicated web page was implemented with scientific references, cosinor analysis software, and other valuable information. All these "raw" data were combined into a single database that students could use to evaluate whatever aspect of the data they seemed fit. A number of suggestions were offered to them as guidance. Students were then instructed to write a scientific article on the subject they had chosen. The experience was highly rewarding for both instructors and students alike. In view of the high level of absenteeism in Spanish universities and the fact that 93% of the students attended the exam and 95% of these passed, the experience was considered a great success.

Key words: circadian rhythms; scientific method; autorhythmometry laboratory session; chronotype