[Brain and education]

Abstract

Students with school phobia have two major clinical problems in common: 1) easy fatigability and 2) disturbed learning and memory functions. In the last 15 years, we studied these cases using various medical and physiological methods, by evaluating clinical autonomic nervous system functions, circadian rhythms such as hormonal secretion, deep body temperature, and sleep-wake. Most of them showed autonomic nervous system dysfunction and circadian rhythm disturbances quite similar to "jet lag". We suggest that this kind of circadian rhythm disturbances are quite prevalent among children in the world and cause memory and learning disabilities.