The detection of orcadian rhythms in physiological data with periodically missing observation points

Abstract

A mathematically sound technique by which circadian rhythms may be detected is that of periodogram analysis. It is necessary, however, in applying this method, to ensure that the observations are equally spaced. In physiological experiments, it is often found that some of the observation points are periodically missing. A modified periodogram technique is defined and its usefulness in cycle detection is demonstrated by means of both simulated and real data.