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Light regulates both image- and various non-image forming responses in humans, including acute effects on attention and affect. To advance the understanding of light's immediate effects, this systematic review describes the acute effects of monochromatic/narrow bandwidth and polychromatic white light during daytime on distinct aspects of attention (alertness, sustained attention, working memory, attentional control and flexibility), and measures of affect (self-report measures, performance-based tests, psychophysiological measures) in healthy, adult human subjects. Original, peer-reviewed (quasi-) experimental studies published between 2000 and May 2024 were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed, and results were synthesized across aspects of attention and affect and grouped according to light interventions; monochromatic/narrowband-width or polychromatic white light (regular white, bright white, and white with high correlated color temperature (CCT)). Results from included studies (n = 62) showed that alertness and working memory were most affected by light. Electroencephalographic markers of alertness improved the most with exposure to narrow bandwidth long-wavelength light, regular white, and white light with high CCT. Self-reported alertness and measures of working memory improved the most with bright white light. Results from studies testing the acute effects on sustained attention and attentional control and flexibility were inconclusive. Performance-based and psychophysiological measures of affect were only influenced by narrow bandwidth long-wavelength light. Polychromatic white light exerted mixed effects on self-reported affect. Studies were strongly heterogeneous in terms of light stimuli characteristics and reporting of light stimuli and control of variables influencing light's acute effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Elisabeth Flo-Groeneboom reports financial support was provided by Research Council of Norway. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the effects of daily ultraviolet A1 (UV-A1, 340-400 nm) exposures on mood states (#R19055, approval on 21 October 2020). Based on our earlier findings of the influence of diurnal preference on mood, we investigated further whether diurnal preference plays a role in the influence of UV-A1 on mood states. Forty-one healthy participants aged 19-55 years were randomized to receive either UV-A1 (n = 21) or control (n = 20) exposures (violet light, 390-440 nm). The irradiations were administered on three consecutive mornings on the skin of the buttocks and middle back. Diurnal preference was assessed with the modified 6-item Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (mMEQ). Changes in mood were assessed with Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) score of the 40-item Profile of Mood States (POMS) before the first irradiation, immediately after each irradiation and one week after the last irradiation. Mood improved among those subjected to UV-A1 exposures compared with the controls (p = 0.031). Individuals with more pronounced morningness had mood improvement (p = 0.011), whereas those with more pronounced eveningness did not (p = 0.41). At follow-up of one week after the last irradiation the mood improvement had disappeared., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Shift workers are mostly suffered from the disruption of circadian rhythm and health problems. In this study, we designed proper light environment to maintain stable circadian rhythm, cognitive performance, and mood status of shift workers. We used five-channel light-emitting diodes to build up the dynamic daylight-like light environment. The illuminance, correlated color temperature, and circadian action factor of light were tunable in the ranges of 226 to 678 lx, 2680 to 7314 K, and 0.32 to 0.96 throughout the day (5:30 to 19:40). During the nighttime, these parameters maintained about 200 lx, 2700 K, and 0.32, respectively. In this light environment, three subjects had engaged in shift work for 38 consecutive days. We measured plasma melatonin, activity counts, continuous performance tests, and visual analogue scale on mood to assess the rhythm, cognitive performance, and mood of subjects. After 38-day shift work, the subjects' peak melatonin concentration increased significantly. Their physiological and behavioral rhythms maintained stable. Their cognitive performance improved significantly after night work, compared with that before night work. Their mood status had no significant change during the 38-day shift work. These results indicated that the light environment was beneficial to maintain circadian rhythm, cognitive performance and mood status during long-term shift work in closed environment.

Conflicting results have been reported regarding the effectiveness of light treatment (LT) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the effectiveness of blue-enriched white LT on sleep, cognition, mood and behavior in patients with mild and moderate AD. The treatment group (n = 14) sat about 60 cm away from a small (136 × 73 × 16 mm) LED light box for 1 h each morning for 2 weeks. The control group (n = 11) wore dark, blue-attenuating sunglasses during the 1 h exposures. The morning light started 9-10 h after each individual's dim light melatonin onset (DLMO). Assessments were done at baseline (T0), immediate post-treatment (T1), and 4 weeks after the end of the 2 weeks of LT (T2). Sleep was measured by actigraphy. Blue-enriched LT had a significantly better effect on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at T2 compared to blue-attenuated LT, and a trend of better effectiveness on total sleep time at T2. There was a significant increase in Mini-Mental State Examination score at T2 after blue-enriched LT than that at T0. Our findings suggest that morning blue-enriched LT has a benefit in improving sleep and cognitive function in AD patients.

Organisms that inhabit the temperate zone exhibit various seasonal adaptive behaviors, including reproduction, hibernation, molting, and migration. Day length, known as photoperiod, is the most noise-free and widely used environmental cue that enables animals to anticipate the oncoming seasons and adapt their physiologies accordingly. Although less clear, some human traits also exhibit seasonality, such as birthrate, mood, cognitive brain responses, and various diseases. However, the molecular basis for human seasonality is poorly understood. Herein, we first review the underlying mechanisms of seasonal adaptive strategies of animals, including seasonal reproduction and stress responses during the breeding season. We then briefly summarize our recent discovery of signaling pathways involved in the winter depression-like phenotype in medaka fish. We believe that exploring the regulation of seasonal traits in animal models will provide insight into human seasonality and aid in the understanding of human diseases such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD)., (© Endocrine Society 2020.)

Purpose/objective(s): Definitive chemoradiation (CRT) results in high cure rates of anal cancer, with advanced radiation (RT) techniques improving toxicity. However, there is limited data regarding these patients' sexual function (SF), quality of life (QOL), and mood. We hypothesized that anal cancer treatment would result in detrimental effects on SF, QOL, and mood., Materials/methods: We prospectively surveyed patients with anal cancer treated with definitive CRT. We assessed SF for women with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and for men with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). For all patients, we assessed QOL using EORTC QLQ-C30 and CR29 and mood using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). We reported descriptive statistics for SF, QOL, and mood and used univariate analysis to evaluate predictors of SF for women., Results: Of 50 eligible patients, 84% completed the surveys. Median time from RT until survey was 36 months (1-97 months). Women (n = 34) reported poor SF overall (mean FSFI score = 15, scale 2-36, standard deviation (SD) 10.4). Most women reported poor SF related to satisfaction, desire, orgasm, arousal, pain, and lubrication. Men (n = 8) also had poor overall satisfaction (mean IIEF score = 6.1, scale 2-10, SD 3.6). Men reported poor erectile function and lower satisfaction with intercourse. Mean QLQ-C30 QOL score was 86.5 (SD 16.3). Results from EORTC QLQ-CR-20 demonstrated patients experienced poor sexual interest. Per HADS, 2.5% reported depression and 18% anxiety., Conclusion: Patients with anal cancer experience sexual dysfunction after RT, with QOL and mood symptoms similar to patients with other cancers. Our data support the need for ongoing efforts to understand and address issues with SF, QOL, and mood following RT for these patients.

Purpose: Artificial indoor lighting can disturb sleep and increase depressive symptoms; both common complaints in psychiatric inpatients. In this trial we aimed to improve sleep in psychiatric inpatients using a circadian lighting environment. Patients and methods: Investigator-blinded parallel-group randomised controlled effectiveness trial in an inpatient psychiatric ward with adjustable lighting. Admitted patients received a pre-set circadian lighting environment (intervention group) or lighting as usual (control group). The primary outcome was the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and secondary outcomes included the Major Depression Inventory and WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Results: We assessed 74 patients and included 54 (27 treated and 27 controls). Treated patients reported a non-significant change in mean sleep quality by -1.02 points on the PSQI (95% CI: -3.17; 1.12) and controls by -0.59 points (95% CI: -2.52; 1.33), difference -0.43 (95% CI: -3.05; 2.2, p -value .74). Similarly, treated patients reported a non-significant change in depressive symptoms and well-being compared to controls. Qualitative data indicated no serious side-effects and no patients in the intervention group were submitted to involuntary measures. Collection of data was non-complete and missing data from self-reported questionnaires amounted to 52.5%. Conclusions: The intervention showed no effect on sleep quality, mood or well-being. The circadian lighting environment was safe in our small and diverse patient sample. The trial integrated well with routine clinical care and our sample reflected the heterogeneity of the target population.

Effect of light therapy on the night sleep of children with sleep problems Abstract. Studies on the effect of light therapy on the nighttime sleep of adolescents revealed earlier sleep onset and longer sleep periods. The present study examines the corresponding effects in children. A group of 28 children ( M = 10.0; SD = 1.65 years) with difficulties falling asleep and sleeping through the night received a light therapy device for home application. The effect was investigated by an A-B-A-B design with four measurement points. We detected significant, small- to medium-sized effects on the children's sleep-onset problems and ability to sleep through the night as well as mood. Sleep onset was reduced by approximately 10 minutes. The representativeness of the sample is limited, but the results largely correspond to the findings in adolescents. Because of the weekly switch between application and nonapplication, the true circadian effects might be underestimated. In principle, however, the effects found in adolescents appear to be transferable to children, though further research is necessary.

The evening chronotype is associated with psychological symptoms such as depressed mood, while skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may affect mood and behavior through neural and humoral routes. This pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of whole-body narrow-band (NB) UV-B exposure on current mood state and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D 3 ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cortisol and β-endorphin (β-END) levels in healthy participants. Here, eleven healthy women received full-body NB UV-B exposures on four afternoons, and the chronotype was assessed with a shortened version of Horne and Östberg's Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Perceived mood was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and serum 25(OH)D 3 , IL-6, cortisol and β-END concentrations were monitored daily. Decreasing VAS values showed mood to improve significantly over the five days after the four suberythematous NB UV-B exposures ( p = .038), and the more the circadian preference was inclined toward eveningness, the greater the improvement in the mood dimension of wellbeing ( p = .021). Baseline mood state was correlated with baseline 25(OH)D 3 (r = -0.54, 95% CI: -0.86 to -0.09) and with baseline cortisol (r = -0.57, 95% CI: -0.87 to -0.04). During the NB UV-B exposures, 25(OH)D 3 increased significantly, as expected, and IL-6 declined significantly by -0.35 (95% CI: -0.69 to -0.07) pg/mL from the initial values of 1.12 ± 0.66 pg/mL ( p = .025). In conclusion, in our pilot study, NB UV-B exposure improved mood, especially among those with evening preference for their daily activities, as well as circulating 25(OH)D 3 levels, whereas circulating IL-6 levels decreased. Abbreviations: UVR: Ultraviolet radiation; NB UV-B: narrow-band UV-B; VAS: Visual Analogue Scales; β-END: β-endorphin; IL-6: Interleukin-6.

Background and Objectives: The Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is implicated in cognitive and emotional responses. Yet, research that investigates the causal role of the left versus right DLPFC during the processes of emotion appraisal is lacking. In the current study, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to disentangle the functional lateralization of the DLPFC on emotional processing in response to the anticipation of, and subsequent confrontation with emotional stimuli in healthy volunteers., Methods: Forty-eight subjects received both active and sham (on separate days) anodal tDCS over either the left (N = 24) or right (N = 24) DLPFC. Subjects' pupil dilation (PD, a physiological marker of cognitive resource allocation) was recorded while performing an appraisal task in which negative and positive emotion eliciting images were presented, each preceded by an informative cue indicating the valence of the upcoming stimulus., Results: As compared to sham stimulation, left DLPFC anodal tDCS resulted in increased PD when confronted with negative emotional images, whereas right DLPFC anodal tDCS resulted in decreased PD when confronted with emotional images, irrespective of valence., Limitations: The interpretation of pupil dilation in response to emotional stimuli is limited., Conclusion: These findings suggest inverse lateralized DLPFC effects on cognitive resource allocation (as measured by pupillary responses) when confronted with emotional stimuli. The current findings may shed some light on mechanisms that explain the antidepressant effects of non-invasive brain stimulation of the left DLPFC., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: Depression is common in patients with type 2 diabetes and adversely affects quality of life and diabetes outcomes. We assessed whether light therapy, an antidepressant, improves mood and insulin sensitivity in patients with depression and type 2 diabetes., Research Design and Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 83 patients with depression and type 2 diabetes. The intervention comprised 4 weeks of light therapy (10,000 lux) or placebo light therapy daily at home. Primary outcomes included depressive symptoms (Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology [IDS]) and insulin sensitivity (M-value derived from the results of a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp). Secondary outcomes were related psychological and glucometabolic measures., Results: Intention-to-treat analysis showed that light therapy was not superior to placebo in reducing depressive symptoms (-3.9 IDS points [95% CI -9.0 to 1.2]; P = 0.248) and had no effect on insulin sensitivity (0.15 mg/kg*min [95% CI -0.41 to 0.70]; P = 0.608). Analyses incorporating only those participants who accurately adhered to the light therapy protocol ( n = 51) provided similar results, but did suggest positive effects of light therapy on depression response rates (≥50% reduction in IDS points) (26% more response; P = 0.031). Prespecified analysis showed effect moderation by baseline insulin sensitivity ( P = 0.009) and use of glucose-lowering medication ( P = 0.023). Light therapy did not affect depressive symptoms in participants with higher insulin sensitivity or those who use only oral glucose-lowering medication or none at all, but it did produce a relevant effect in participants with lower insulin sensitivity (-12.9 IDS points [95% CI -21.6 to -4.2]; P = 0.017) and a trend toward effectiveness in those using insulin (-12.2 IDS points [95% CI -21.3 to -3.1]; P = 0.094). Light therapy was well tolerated., Conclusions: Although this trial is essentially inconclusive, secondary analyses indicate that light therapy might be a promising treatment for depression among a subgroup of highly insulin-resistant individuals with type 2 diabetes., (© 2019 by the American Diabetes Association.)

We investigated physiological and subjective responses to morning light exposure of commercially available LED lighting with different correlated colour temperatures to predict how LED-based smart lighting employed in future learning environments will impact students. The classical markers of the circadian system (melatonin and cortisol), as well as the subjective perception of sleepiness, mood, and visual comfort, were compared. Fifteen university students underwent an hour of morning light exposure to both warm (3,500 K) and blue-enriched (6,500 K) white lights at recommended illuminance levels for classrooms and lecture halls (500 lux). The decline of melatonin levels was significantly greater after the exposure to blue-enriched white light. Exposure to blue-enriched white light significantly improved subjective perception of alertness, mood, and visual comfort. With regard to cortisol, we did not find a significant difference in the cortisol decrement between the two light conditions. Our findings suggest that the sensitivity of physiological and subjective responses to white LED light is blue-shifted. These findings, extending the already known effects of short-wavelength light on human physiology, reveal interesting practical implications. Blue-enriched LED light seems to be a simple yet effective potential countermeasure for morning drowsiness and dozing off in class, particularly in schools with insufficient daylight.

Light exerts a range of powerful biological effects beyond image vision, including mood and learning regulation. While the source of photic information affecting mood and cognitive functions is well established, viz. intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), the central mediators are unknown. Here, we reveal that the direct effects of light on learning and mood utilize distinct ipRGC output streams. ipRGCs that project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) mediate the effects of light on learning, independently of the SCN's pacemaker function. Mood regulation by light, on the other hand, requires an SCN-independent pathway linking ipRGCs to a previously unrecognized thalamic region, termed perihabenular nucleus (PHb). The PHb is integrated in a distinctive circuitry with mood-regulating centers and is both necessary and sufficient for driving the effects of light on affective behavior. Together, these results provide new insights into the neural basis required for light to influence mood and learning., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and distressing symptom that can persist after cancer treatment has concluded. Bright light therapy has shown preliminary efficacy in reducing CRF, but its impact on other psychosocial factors is unclear. The purpose was to examine the impact of a 1-month light therapy intervention on fatigue, mood, and quality of life in cancer survivors with fatigue., Methods: This 4-week blinded randomized controlled trial recruited cancer survivors who met diagnostic criteria for CRF. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a light therapy device that produced either bright white light (BWL; intervention) or dim red light (DRL; active control). Participants were instructed to use the device daily for 30 min upon waking for 28 days. The primary outcome, fatigue, was assessed weekly. Secondary outcomes assessed pre- and post-intervention included mood, depressive symptoms, and quality of life., Results: A total of 81 participants were randomly assigned to receive BWL (n = 42) or DRL (n = 39). Analyses revealed a group-by-time interaction for fatigue (p = .034), wherein the BWL condition reported a 17% greater reduction in fatigue than those in the DRL condition (between group d = .30). There were also significant improvements over time for both groups on measures of mood, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (p's < .01)., Conclusions: BWL was associated with greater improvements in fatigue and both groups displayed improvements on secondary psychosocial outcomes., Implications for Cancer Survivors: These findings, along with previous reports of light therapy for CRF, support the use of this intervention to improve fatigue in cancer survivors.

Study Objectives: Altered comfort sensing and reduced gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex of the brain in people suffering from insomnia disorder (ID) suggest compromised processes of motivation and hedonia. The experience sampling (ES) method was used to evaluate whether, in naturalistic conditions, people with ID differ from those without sleep complaints with respect to subjective Wanting and Liking, two major dimensions of the reward system. Since light affects brain circuits involved in affect and reward, ES was combined with ambulatory monitoring of light intensity fluctuations to evaluate their effect on subjective Wanting and Liking., Methods: Participants with ID (n = 17, 12 females, 56.8 ± 6.5 mean ± standard deviation years of age) and matched controls without sleep complaints (n = 18, 12 females, 57.0 ± 8.6 years of age) were probed by a smartphone alarm to log their subjective Wanting, Liking, and mood nine times a day for 7 days. Using an ambulatory light recorder, light intensity exposure was sampled simultaneously and averaged over the intervals between subsequent ES alarms. Mixed-effect models were used to evaluate how ID and varying light intensity affected subjective assessments., Results: The results indicated significantly lower subjective Liking and Wanting in people suffering from ID, particularly at low environmental light intensity., Conclusions: Wanting and Liking, rather than more commonly used mood adjectives, showed an increased sensitivity to detect deficient hedonic and reward processing in insomnia during everyday life. Deficient Liking may in part be rescued by exposure to bright environmental light.

Background: Photobiomodulation using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been tested as a new technique to optimize recovery of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study is to evaluate inhibitory attentional control after 18 sessions of active LLLT and compare with the placebo group (sham LLLT). Our exploratory analysis will evaluate the efficacy of the active LLLT on verbal and visuospatial episodic memory, executive functions (working memory, verbal and visuospatial fluency, attentional processes), and anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to the sham group., Methods/design: A randomized double-blinded trial will be made in 36 patients with moderate and severe TBI. The active LLLT will use an optical device composed of LEDs emitting 632 nm of radiation at the site with full potency of 830 mW. The cranial region with an area of 400 cm 2 will be irradiated for 30 min, giving a total dose per session of 3.74 J/cm 2 . The sham LLLT group contains only an LED device with power < 1 mW, only serving to simulate the irradiation. Each patient will be irradiated three times per week for six weeks, totaling 18 sessions. Neuropsychological assessments will be held one week before the beginning of the sessions, after one week, and three months after the end of LLLT sessions. Memory domain, attention, executive functioning, and visual construction will be evaluated, in addition to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social demographics., Discussion: LLLT has been demonstrated as a safe and effective technique in significantly improving the memory, attention, and mood performance in healthy and neurologic patients. We expect that our trial can complement previous finds, as an effective low-cost therapy to improve cognitive sequel after TBI., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02393079 . Registered on 20 February 2015.

Multiple sclerosis is a disabling and progressive neurological disease that has significant negative effects on health-related quality of life. This exploratory efficacy study examined the effects of Healing Light Guided Imagery (HLGI), a novel variant of guided imagery, compared with a wait-list control in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Changes in the Beck Depression Inventory, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life instrument (physical and mental components) were compared between groups. Patients who completed HLGI (N = 9) showed significant reductions in depressed mood ( P < .05) and fatigue ( P < .01) and showed significant gains in physical ( P = .01) and mental ( P < .01) quality of life compared with journaling (N = 8). Our results suggest that HLGI can improve self-reported physical and mental well-being in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Further research is needed to study the effectiveness of this therapy, as well as its mind-body mechanisms of action.

Purpose: To investigate long-term changes in behavioral functions of mice after exposure to low-dose prenatal radiation at an early organogenesis stage., Methods and Materials: Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were irradiated (20 cGy) at postcoitus day 5.5. The male and female offspring were subjected to different behavioral assays for affective, motor, and cognitive functions at 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Behavioral functions were further correlated with the population of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons and immature neurons in hippocampal dentate gyrus., Results: Prenatally exposed mice of different age groups showed a sex-specific pattern of sustained changes in behavioral functions. Male mice showed significant changes in anxiety-like phenotypes, learning, and long-term memory at age 3 months. At 6 months of age such behavioral functions were recovered to a normal level but could not be sustained at age 12 months. Female mice showed an appreciable recovery in almost all behavioral functions at 12 months. Patterns of change in learning and long-term memory were comparable to the population of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons and doublecortin-positive neurons in hippocampus., Conclusion: Our finding suggests that prenatal (early organogenesis stage) irradiation even at a lower dose level (20 cGy) is sufficient to cause potential changes in neurobehavioral function at later stages of life. Male mice showed relatively higher vulnerability to radiation-induced neurobehavioral changes as compared with female., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated seasonal and time-of-day dependent moderations in the strength and direction of acute diurnal non-image forming (NIF) effects of illuminance level on performance, physiology, and subjective well-being. Even though there are indications for temporal variations in NIF-responsiveness to bright light, scientific insights into potential moderations by season are scarce. We employed a 2 (Light: 165 versus 1700 lx at the eye level, within) × 2 (Season: autumn/winter versus spring, between) × 2 (Time of day: morning versus afternoon, between) mixed-model design. During each of the two 90-min experimental sessions, participants (autumn/winter: N = 34; spring: N = 39) completed four measurement blocks (incl. one baseline block of 120 lx at the eye level) each consisting of a Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) and a Backwards Digit-Span Task (BDST) including easy trials (4-6 digits) and difficult trials (7-8 digits). Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance level (SCL) were measured continuously. At the end of each lighting condition, subjective sleepiness, vitality, and mood were measured. The results revealed a clear indication for significant Light * Season interaction effects on both subjective sleepiness and vitality, which appeared only during the morning sessions. Participants felt significantly more vital and less sleepy in winter, but not in spring during bright light exposure in the morning. In line with these subjective parameters, participants also showed significantly better PVT performance in the morning in autumn/winter, but not in spring upon bright light exposure. Surprisingly, for difficult working memory performance, the opposite was found, namely worse performance during bright light exposure in winter, but better performance when exposed to bright light in spring. The effects of bright versus regular light exposure on physiology were quite subtle and largely nonsignificant. Overall, it can be concluded that acute illuminance-induced NIF effects on subjective alertness and vitality as well as objectively measured vigilance in the morning are significantly moderated by season. Possibly, these greater illuminance-induced benefits during the morning sessions in autumn/winter compared to spring occurred due to increased responsiveness to bright light exposure as a function of a relatively low prior light dose in autumn/winter.

Objective: Environmental (little outdoor light; low indoor lighting) and age-related physiological factors (reduced light transmission through the ocular lens, reduced mobility) contribute to a light-deprived environment for older people living in care homes., Methods: This study investigates the effect of increasing indoor light levels with blue-enriched white lighting on objective (rest-activity rhythms, performance) and self-reported (mood, sleep, alertness) measures in older people. Eighty residents (69 female), aged 86 ± 8 yrs (mean ± SD), participated (MMSE 19 ± 6). Overhead fluorescent lighting was installed in communal rooms (n=20) of seven care homes. Four weeks of blue-enriched white lighting (17000 K ≅ 900 lux) were compared with four weeks of control white lighting (4000 K ≅ 200 lux), separated by three weeks wash-out. Participants completed validated mood and sleep questionnaires, psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and wore activity and light monitors (AWL). Rest-activity rhythms were assessed by cosinor, non-parametric circadian rhythm (NPCRA) and actigraphic sleep analysis. Blue-enriched (17000 K) light increased wake time and activity during sleep decreasing actual sleep time, sleep percentage and sleep efficiency (p < 0.05) (actigraphic sleep). Compared to 4000 K lighting, blue-enriched 17000 K lighting significantly (p < 0.05) advanced the timing of participants' rest-activity rhythm (cosinor), increased daytime and night-time activity (NPCRA), reduced subjective anxiety (HADA) and sleep quality (PSQI). There was no difference between the two light conditions in daytime alertness and performance (PVT)., Conclusion: Blue-enriched lighting produced some positive (increased daytime activity, reduced anxiety) and negative (increased night-time activity, reduced sleep efficiency and quality) effects in older people., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Background: The discovery of a novel photoreceptor in the retinal ganglion cells with a highest sensitivity of 470-490 nm blue light has led to research on the effects of short-wavelength light in humans. Several studies have explored the efficacy of monochromatic blue or blue-enriched light in the treatment of SAD. In this study, a comparison has been made between the effects of broad-wavelength light without ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths compared to narrow-band blue light in the treatment of sub-syndromal seasonal affective disorder (Sub-SAD)., Method: In a 15-day design, 48 participants suffering from Sub-SAD completed 20-minute sessions of light treatment on five consecutive days. 22 participants were given bright white-light treatment (BLT, broad-wavelength light without UV 10 000 lux, irradiance 31.7 Watt/m(2)) and 26 participants received narrow-band blue light (BLUE, 100 lux, irradiance 1.0 Watt/m(2)). All participants completed daily and weekly questionnaires concerning mood, activation, sleep quality, sleepiness and energy. Also, mood and energy levels were assessed by means of the SIGH-SAD, the primary outcome measure., Results: On day 15, SIGH-SAD ratings were significantly lower than on day 1 (BLT 54.8 %, effect size 1.7 and BLUE 50.7 %, effect size 1.9). No statistically significant differences were found on the main outcome measures., Conclusion: Light treatment is an effective treatment for Sub-SAD. The use of narrow-band blue-light treatment is equally effective as bright white-light treatment., Trial Registration: This study was registered in the Dutch Trial Register (Nederlands Trial Register TC =  4342 ) (20-12-2013).

This study examined whether diurnal non-image forming (NIF) effects of illuminance level on cognitive task performance depend on task difficulty and time of day. We employed a balanced crossover design with two 60-min sessions of 200 vs. 1000 lux at eye level. Digit-span task difficulty was manipulated within subjects (forward (FDST) vs. backward (BDST) digit-span task), n-back task difficulty was manipulated between subjects (n=1, 2, or 3). Bright light exposure improved FDST performance during the final measurement block, especially in the afternoon. In contrast, BDST performance deteriorated slightly under bright light in the afternoon. Two-back performance was significantly worse under bright light in the afternoon, while no effect of illuminance level was found on 3-back performance. Thus, the more difficult BDST was affected differently by light intensity as compared to the easier FDST. N-back accuracy, however, did not confirm this role of task difficulty. Future studies should investigate whether similar results hold for other types of tasks and how other variables (e.g., time of day, physiological arousal, or other task characteristics) may influence the direction and magnitude of NIF effects on performance., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Short-wavelengths can have an acute impact on alertness, which is allegedly due to their action on intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Classical photoreceptors cannot, however, be excluded at this point in time as contributors to the alerting effect of light. The objective of this study was to compare the alerting effect at night of a white LED light source while wearing blue-blockers or not, in order to establish the contribution of short-wavelengths., Materials and Methods: 20 participants stayed awake under dim light (< 5 lx) from 23:00 h to 04:00 h on two consecutive nights. On the second night, participants were randomly assigned to one light condition for 30 min starting at 3:00 h. Group A (5M/5F) was exposed to 500 μW/cm(2) of unfiltered LED light, while group B (4M/6F) was required to wear blue-blocking glasses, while exposed to 1500 μW/cm(2) from the same light device in order to achieve 500 μW/cm(2) at eye level (as measured behind the glasses). Subjective alertness, energy, mood and anxiety were assessed for both nights at 23:30 h, 01:30 h and 03:30 h using a visual analog scale (VAS). Subjective sleepiness was assessed with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). Subjects also performed the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CPT-II) in order to assess objective alertness. Mixed model analysis was used to compare VAS, SSS and CPT-II parameters., Results: No difference between group A and group B was observed for subjective alertness, energy, mood, anxiety and sleepiness, as well as CPT-II parameters. Subjective alertness (p < 0.001), energy (p < 0.001) and sleepiness (p < 0.05) were, however improved after light exposure on the second night independently of the light condition., Conclusions: The current study shows that when sleepiness is high, the alerting effect of light can still be triggered at night in the absence of short-wavelengths with a 30 minute light pulse of 500 μW/cm(2). This suggests that the underlying mechanism by which a brief polychromatic light exposure improves alertness is not solely due to short-wavelengths through intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.

While high levels of activity and exercise training have been associated with improvements in sleep quality, minimum levels of activity likely to improve sleep outcomes have not been explored. A two-armed parallel randomized controlled trial (N=41; 30 females) was designed to assess whether increasing physical activity to the level recommended in public health guidelines can improve sleep quality among inactive adults meeting research diagnostic criteria for insomnia. The intervention consisted of a monitored program of ≥150 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, for 6 months. The principal end-point was the Insomnia Severity Index at 6 months post-baseline. Secondary outcomes included measures of mood, fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Activity and light exposure were monitored throughout the trial using accelerometry and actigraphy. At 6 months post-baseline, the physical activity group showed significantly reduced insomnia symptom severity (F(8,26) = 5.16, P = 0.03), with an average reduction of four points on the Insomnia Severity Index; and significantly reduced depression and anxiety scores (F(6,28) = 5.61, P = 0.02; and F(6,28) = 4.41, P = 0.05, respectively). All of the changes were independent of daily light exposure. Daytime fatigue showed no significant effect of the intervention (F(8,26) = 1.84, P = 0.18). Adherence and retention were high. Internationally recommended minimum levels of physical activity improve daytime and night-time symptoms of chronic insomnia independent of daily light exposure levels., (© 2015 European Sleep Research Society.)

Cognitive performance and alertness are two determinants for work efficiency, varying throughout the day and depending on bright light. We conducted a prospective crossover study evaluating the impacts of exposure to an intense, early morning illumination on sustained attention, alertness, mood, and serum melatonin levels in 33 healthy individuals. Compared with a dim illumination, the intense illumination negatively impacted performance requiring sustained attention; however, it positively impacted subjective alertness and mood and had no impact on serum melatonin levels. These results suggest that brief exposure to bright light in the morning hours can improve subjective measures of mood and alertness, but can also have detrimental effects on mental performance as a result of visual distraction. Therefore, it is important that adequate lighting should correspond to both non-visual and visual demands., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the cognitive function, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) before and after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)., Methods: Eligible patients with newly diagnosed NPC treated with primary IMRT were recruited. A series of neuropsychological tests were performed within 1 week before and after IMRT. Cognitive function was measured with the Das-Naglieri cognitive assessment system. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale were used to assess mood states. Sleep quality was evaluated by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index., Results: A total of 51 patients were enrolled. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality showed a significant increase after RT, compared with their pre-RT levels (39.2% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.000; 19.6% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.039; 64.7% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.003, respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that pre-RT depression and younger age and pre-RT anxiety and younger age were significant predictors of post-RT depression and anxiety, respectively (p < 0.05). Poor sleep quality before treatment was also associated with poor sleep after RT (p = 0.032). However, the cognitive function evaluated by the cognitive assessment system from pre-RT was similar to the post-RT results., Conclusions: Exposure to ionizing radiation for the treatment of NPC decreased mood and sleep quality following IMRT, especially for patients with depression, anxiety, younger age, or poor sleep before treatment. No acute cognitive deficits were found resulting from IMRT, but the long-term effects of RT might still warrant concern., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Bright light is used to treat winter depression and may also have positive effects on mood in some healthy individuals. However, there is little information on how bright light treatment influences social behavior. We performed a cross-over study in winter comparing the effects of morning bright light administration with placebo (exposure to negative ions) on mood and social behavior in 38 healthy people with mild to moderate seasonality. Each treatment was given for 21days with a washout period of 14days between treatments. An event-contingent recording assessment was used to measure mood, and social behavior along two axes, agreeable-quarrelsome and dominant-submissive, during each 21-day treatment period. During treatments, participants wore a combined light-sensor and accelerometer to test this method for adherence to light treatment self-administered at home. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Bright light improved mood but increased quarrelsome behavior and decreased submissiveness. Data from the light monitor and accelerometer suggested that 21% of the participants did not adhere to bright light treatment; when this group was analyzed separately, there was no change in quarrelsomeness or mood. However, results for individuals who followed the procedure were similar to those reported for the whole sample., (© 2013.)

Circadian phase resetting is sensitive to visual short wavelengths (450-480 nm). Selectively filtering this range of wavelengths may reduce circadian misalignment and sleep impairment during irregular light-dark schedules associated with shiftwork. We examined the effects of filtering short wavelengths (<480 nm) during night shifts on sleep and performance in nine nurses (five females and four males; mean age ± SD: 31.3 ± 4.6 yrs). Participants were randomized to receive filtered light (intervention) or standard indoor light (baseline) on night shifts. Nighttime sleep after two night shifts and daytime sleep in between two night shifts was assessed by polysomnography (PSG). In addition, salivary melatonin levels and alertness were assessed every 2 h on the first night shift of each study period and on the middle night of a run of three night shifts in each study period. Sleep and performance under baseline and intervention conditions were compared with daytime performance on the seventh day shift, and nighttime sleep following the seventh daytime shift (comparator). On the baseline night PSG, total sleep time (TST) (p < 0.01) and sleep efficiency (p = 0.01) were significantly decreased and intervening wake times (wake after sleep onset [WASO]) (p = 0.04) were significantly increased in relation to the comparator night sleep. In contrast, under intervention, TST was increased by a mean of 40 min compared with baseline, WASO was reduced and sleep efficiency was increased to levels similar to the comparator night. Daytime sleep was significantly impaired under both baseline and intervention conditions. Salivary melatonin levels were significantly higher on the first (p < 0.05) and middle (p < 0.01) night shifts under intervention compared with baseline. Subjective sleepiness increased throughout the night under both conditions (p < 0.01). However, reaction time and throughput on vigilance tests were similar to daytime performance under intervention but impaired under baseline on the first night shift. By the middle night shift, the difference in performance was no longer significant between day shift and either of the two night shift conditions, suggesting some adaptation to the night shift had occurred under baseline conditions. These results suggest that both daytime and nighttime sleep are adversely affected in rotating-shift workers and that filtering short wavelengths may be an approach to reduce sleep disruption and improve performance in rotating-shift workers.

Light exposure elicits numerous effects on human physiology and behavior, such as better cognitive performance and mood. Here we investigated the role of morning light exposure as a countermeasure for impaired cognitive performance and mood under sleep restriction (SR). Seventeen participants took part of a 48h laboratory protocol, during which three different light settings (separated by 2 wks) were administered each morning after two 6-h sleep restriction nights: a blue monochromatic LED (light-emitting diode) light condition (BL; 100 lux at 470 nm for 20 min) starting 2 h after scheduled wake-up time, a dawn-simulating light (DsL) starting 30 min before and ending 20 min after scheduled wake-up time (polychromatic light gradually increasing from 0 to 250 lux), and a dim light (DL) condition for 2 h beginning upon scheduled wake time (<8 lux). Cognitive tasks were performed every 2 h during scheduled wakefulness, and questionnaires were administered hourly to assess subjective sleepiness, mood, and well-being. Salivary melatonin and cortisol were collected throughout scheduled wakefulness in regular intervals, and the effects on melatonin were measured after only one light pulse. Following the first SR, analysis of the time course of cognitive performance during scheduled wakefulness indicated a decrease following DL, whereas it remained stable following BL and significantly improved after DsL. Cognitive performance levels during the second day after SR were not significantly affected by the different light conditions. However, after both SR nights, mood and well-being were significantly enhanced after exposure to morning DsL compared with DL and BL. Melatonin onset occurred earlier after morning BL exposure, than after morning DsL and DL, whereas salivary cortisol levels were higher at wake-up time after DsL compared with BL and DL. Our data indicate that exposure to an artificial morning dawn simulation light improves subjective well-being, mood, and cognitive performance, as compared with DL and BL, with minimal impact on circadian phase. Thus, DsL may provide an effective strategy for enhancing cognitive performance, well-being, and mood under mild sleep restriction.

Context: Scientists are now finding that light acts on individuals through multiple pathways, most notably the optic nerve that links to the brain's visual cortex, providing a pathway for the visual effects of light. The optic nerve also links to the more recently discovered retinohypothalamic tract, providing a pathway for the nonvisual effects of light. However, specific effects have not yet been widely evaluated clinically, especially in relationship to chromotherapy (ie, therapy based on colored light)., Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of modulated-light projections, perceived through the eyes, on the autonomic nervous system (ANS)., Design: The research team designed a randomized, controlled, partially blinded study with three intervention groups and one control group., Setting: The study took place in two locations: (1) Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, USA (40 participants) and Centre de Santé Satori, Québec, Canada (77 participants)., Participants: The research team recruited 117 individuals, 89 women and 28 men, to participate in the study. Participants were normal healthy individuals who were 19 to 72 y old (average age = 43 y)., Intervention: Three types of light projections, each containing both specific colors and specific modulations in the frequency range of brainwaves, were tested, in addition to a placebo projection consisting of nonmodulated white light., Outcome Measures: Evaluation was done using a combination of physiological measures-heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and skin conductance (SC)- and psychological tests: the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and a subjective evaluation questionnaire., Results: The research team observed significant differences in the effects of light-modulation projections from baseline to postsession as compared with an equivalent intensity of white light, including decreased HR, increased HRV standard deviations of normalized NN (beat-to-beat) intervals (SDNN), very low (VLF) and low frequency (LF) levels, and decreased POMS total mood disturbance (TMD). Also, the different colors of modulated light were found to result in different ANS effects., Conclusions: Interest is growing in the therapeutic potential of light. The effects demonstrated in the current study indicate that colored light could significantly enrich the therapeutic potential of light, and further research into chromotherapy is warranted.

We investigated the cardio-autonomic and psychological effects of colored light cycling with the wavelength of ultradian rhythms. In two consecutive experiments, an explorative, longitudinal test followed by a randomized crossover design, 20 healthy subjects each were exposed to oscillating red, green and blue light. Heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and subjective wellbeing were measured. Significant effects of the oscillating color light exposure were observed for heart rate and cardio-autonomic control rhythms, derived from HRV (p≤.001). These effects on HRV were replicated in the second experiment in comparison to a similar white light exposure protocol (p≤.05). Vigilance showed improvement over the two weeks (p≤.001) in the longitudinal study. External color light cycling at the wavelength of blood pressure oscillations appears to amplify the endogenous autonomic oscillations. This leads to an optimization of cardio-autonomic control; an effect that was reflected shortly after the onset of the light exposure sessions by the increase of heart rate variability. From the results, we conclude that it takes repeated light exposure session to foster the positive effects on the psychological aspects, as we observed an increase of subjectively perceived mood only in the longitudinal study, not for the crossover design study. The results of our study imply some possible health effects of a color light exposure that is adjusted to 10 s and 1 min oscillations of humans' ultradian rhythms. These novel results show possible applications of oscillating visual inputs to the activation of processes connected to physiological regulation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A paucity of studies have evaluated the biopsychosocial factors contributing to quality of life (QoL) in adults with a primary brain tumor (BT). Our objective was to investigate (i) the effects of radiotherapy on the psychosocial (ie, posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]) and cognitive functioning of adults with a primary BT, assessed preradiotherapy [T1] and postradiotherapy [T2], and (ii) predictors of PTSS and QoL postradiotherapy. Seventy adults with a BT were assessed at T1, and 67 patients were reassessed 3.5 months postradiotherapy. At each assessment, participants completed measures of PTSS, mood, QoL, and quality of social support and neurocognitive tests focusing on memory and executive functioning. Minimal differences in functioning were found between patients according to BT type (benign [n = 45] vs malignant [n = 25]) and tumor laterality (left vs right hemisphere), with 2 exceptions. Individuals with a left hemisphere benign BT experienced greater distress at T1, which declined at T2, whereas individuals with a left hemisphere malignant BT reported poorer social support at T2. The full sample performed poorly on tests of executive functioning, and 17% reported clinically elevated PTSS at T1, which reduced to 13% at T2. Younger age (<65 y), reduced QoL, and elevated anger symptoms at T1 predicted PTSS at T2, whilst having a benign BT, low PTSS, and depressive symptoms at T1 were predictive of improved QoL at T2. Findings highlight the importance of screening for psychosocial and cognitive disturbances in BT patients undergoing treatment to identify those at risk for acute and more prolonged problems.

Recently, we published our results (Bókkon et al., 2011. Electromagn Biol Med.) regarding the effectiveness of the EMOST (Electro-Magnetic-Own-Signal-Treatment) method for the reduction of phantom limb pain under clinical circumstances. However, EMOST treatments not only significantly reduced phantom pain, but that most of the patients also reported about additional benefits such as improvement of their sleep and mood quality after treatments. Here we report some unusual applications of EMOST method under special situations. That is, we report about our effective EMOST treatments of humans under catastrophic conditions and commando training course. This article points out that it is reasonable to apply biophysical electromagnetic management under unique circumstances. We also report some preliminary experiments on 12 members of our BioLabor regarding the effectiveness of single EMOST treatment on some serum parameters and electrocardiogram.

The daily solar cycle allows organisms to synchronize their circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles to the correct temporal niche. Changes in day-length, shift-work, and transmeridian travel lead to mood alterations and cognitive function deficits. Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption underlie mood and cognitive disorders associated with irregular light schedules. Whether irregular light schedules directly affect mood and cognitive functions in the context of normal sleep and circadian rhythms remains unclear. Here we show, using an aberrant light cycle that neither changes the amount and architecture of sleep nor causes changes in the circadian timing system, that light directly regulates mood-related behaviours and cognitive functions in mice. Animals exposed to the aberrant light cycle maintain daily corticosterone rhythms, but the overall levels of corticosterone are increased. Despite normal circadian and sleep structures, these animals show increased depression-like behaviours and impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation and learning. Administration of the antidepressant drugs fluoxetine or desipramine restores learning in mice exposed to the aberrant light cycle, suggesting that the mood deficit precedes the learning impairments. To determine the retinal circuits underlying this impairment of mood and learning, we examined the behavioural consequences of this light cycle in animals that lack intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. In these animals, the aberrant light cycle does not impair mood and learning, despite the presence of the conventional retinal ganglion cells and the ability of these animals to detect light for image formation. These findings demonstrate the ability of light to influence cognitive and mood functions directly through intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells.

In addition to its role in vision, light exerts strong effects on behavior. Its powerful role in the modulation of mood is well established, yet remains poorly understood. Much research has focused on the effects of light on circadian rhythms and subsequent interaction with alertness and depression. The recent discovery of a third photoreceptor, melanopsin, expressed in a subset of retinal ganglion cells, allows major improvement of our understanding of how photic information is processed. Light affects behavior in two ways, either indirectly through the circadian timing system, or directly through mechanisms that are independent of the circadian system. These latter effects have barely been studied in regard to mood, but recent investigations on the direct effects of light on sleep and alertness suggest additional pathways through which light could influence mood. Based on our recent findings, we suggest that light, via melanopsin, may exert its antidepressant effect through a modulation of the homeostatic process of sleep. Further research is needed to understand how these mechanisms interplay and how they contribute to the photic regulation of mood. Such research could improve therapeutic management of affective disorders and influence the management of societal lighting conditions., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Converging lines of evidence have established a relationship between exposure to ambient light and both mood state and mood disorders. In view of the association between mood disorder and affective disposition, in this study, the relationship between temperament (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) and daily light exposure was closely examined., Methods: Fifty-six subjects completed the Japanese standardized version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-auto questionnaire version (TEMPS-A) and illuminance of daytime using actigraphy., Results: Cyclothymic temperament scores were significantly and negatively associated with illuminance of daytime whereas hyperthymic temperament scores were significantly and positively associated with illuminance of daytime., Limitations: Sample size was relatively small and they were only healthy subjects and no patients., Conclusions: The findings suggest that illuminance of daytime may be related to both cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments but that the associations lie in opposite directions. If this is the case, it seems important to consider individual patients' temperaments when light therapy is used to treat their depressive episode. Further studies are required to determine why and how these temperaments are associated with illuminance., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Blue light sensitivity of melatonin suppression and subjective mood and alertness responses in humans is recognized as being melanopsin based. Observations that long-wavelength (red) light can potentiate responses to subsequent short-wavelength (blue) light have been attributed to the bistable nature of melanopsin whereby it forms stable associations with both 11-cis and all-trans isoforms of retinaldehyde and uses light to transition between these states. The current study examined the effect of concurrent administration of blue and red monochromatic light, as would occur in real-world white light, on acute melatonin suppression and subjective mood and alertness responses in humans. Young healthy men (18-35 years; n = 21) were studied in highly controlled laboratory sessions that included an individually timed 30-min light stimulus of blue (λ(max) 479 nm) or red (λ(max) 627 nm) monochromatic light at varying intensities (10(13)-10(14) photons/cm(2)/sec) presented, either alone or in combination, in a within-subject randomized design. Plasma melatonin levels and subjective mood and alertness were assessed at regular intervals relative to the light stimulus. Subjective alertness levels were elevated after light onset irrespective of light wavelength or irradiance. For melatonin suppression, a significant irradiance response was observed with blue light. Co-administration of red light, at any of the irradiances tested, did not significantly alter the response to blue light alone. Under the current experimental conditions, the primary determinant of the melatonin suppression response was the irradiance of blue 479 nm light, and this was unaffected by simultaneous red light administration.

Objective: Although repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is frequently used to examine emotional changes in healthy volunteers, it remains largely unknown how rTMS is able to influence emotion., Methods: In this sham-controlled, single-blind crossover study using fMRI, we examined in 20 right-handed healthy females whether a single high frequency (HF)-rTMS session applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex could influence emotional processing while focussing on blocks of positively and negatively valenced baby faces., Results: While positive information was being processed, we observed after one active HF-rTMS session enhanced neuronal activity in the left superior frontal cortex and right inferior parietal cortex. After sham HF-rTMS, we found significant decreases in neuronal activity in the left superior frontal cortex, the left inferior prefrontal cortex, as well as in the right posterior cingulate gyrus. When negative information was processed, one active stimulation attenuated neuronal activity in the right insula only., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that during the processing of positive information one active session enhanced the ability to empathize with the depicted emotional stimuli, while during the processing of negative information it resulted in decreased psychophysiological reactions., Significance: These results provide new information on the working mechanism of left-sided HF-rTMS., (Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To perform a comprehensive cognitive function (CF) assessment in patients who were relapse free after curative intent radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck., Methods and Materials: Patients underwent neuropsychological tests to assess their objective CF; completed questionnaires to assess subjective CF, quality of life, and affect; and underwent blood tests to assess hematologic, biochemical, endocrine, and cytokine status. Retrospectively, the dosimetry of incidental radiation to the brain was determined for all patients, and the dose intensity of cisplatin was determined in those who had undergone chemoradiotherapy., Results: A total of 10 patients were enrolled (5 treated with radiotherapy only and 5 with radiotherapy and cisplatin). The mean time from the end of treatment was 20 months (range, 9-41). All patients were able to complete the assessment protocol. Of the 10 patients, 9 had impaired objective CF, with memory the most severely affected. The severity of memory impairment correlated significantly with the radiation dose to the temporal lobes, and impaired dexterity correlated significantly with the radiation dose to the cerebellum, suggesting that these deficits might be treatment related. Patients receiving cisplatin appeared to have poorer objective CF than patients receiving only RT, although this difference did not achieve statistical significance, likely owing to the small sample size. Consistent with the published data, objective CF did not correlate with subjective CF or quality of life. No association was found between objective CF and patients' affect, hematologic, biochemical, endocrine, and cytokine status., Conclusion: Neuropsychological testing is feasible in squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck survivors. The findings were suggestive of treatment-related cognitive dysfunction. These results warrant additional investigation., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We examined the effects of an advanced sleep/wake schedule and morning short wavelength (blue) light in 25 adults (mean age±SD=21.8±3 years; 13 women) with late sleep schedules and subclinical features of delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD)., Methods: After a baseline week, participants kept individualized, fixed, advanced 7.5-h sleep schedules for 6days. Participants were randomly assigned to groups to receive "blue" (470nm, ∼225lux, n=12) or "dim" (<1lux, n=13) light for 1h after waking each day. Head-worn "Daysimeters" measured light exposure; actigraphs and sleep diaries confirmed schedule compliance. Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO), self-reported sleep, and mood were examined with 2×2 ANOVA., Results: After 6days, both groups showed significant circadian phase advances, but morning blue light was not associated with larger phase shifts than dim-light exposure. The average DLMO advances (mean±SD) were 1.5±1.1h in the dim light group and 1.4±0.7h in the blue light group., Conclusions: Adherence to a fixed advanced sleep/wake schedule resulted in significant circadian phase shifts in young adults with subclinical DSPD with or without morning blue light exposure. Light/dark exposures associated with fixed early sleep schedules are sufficient to advance circadian phase in young adults., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A possible relationship between circadian rhythms and affective disorders has been strongly implicated, but understanding of the biological basis of such a relationship demands the utilization of appropriate animal models. Most research is performed with nocturnal rodents while some of the effects of daylight cycles or melatonin levels in nocturnal animals may differ greatly from effects in diurnal species (including humans). Recent studies suggested the diurnal fat Sand rat as an appropriate model animal to study circadian mechanisms involvement in mood and anxiety disorders, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD). These studies demonstrated that Sand rats chronically exposed to short daylight (SD), or to melatonin regimen mimicing short daylight, show anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. These findings established face and construct validity for the model. The present study evaluated predictive validity by testing the effects of bright light treatment in Sand rats exposed to chronic SD. Sand rats maintained on SD for 3 weeks were treated with 1h daily 3000lx light for 3 weeks, 1h after "lights on" (during the light phase of the light/dark cycle), and their behavior tested in the sweet solution preference test (SSP), elevated plus-maze (EPM) and forced swim test (FST) and compared with control animals without treatment. Results indicate that bright light treatment reduced anxiety-like behavior in the EPM and depression-like behavior in the FST but not SSP. It is suggested that the results support the possibility that the diurnal Sand rat might be a preferred model animal for the study of SAD.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cellular phone base station RF-EMF (radiofrequency electromagnetic fields) exposure on psychological symptoms (good mood, alertness, calmness) as measured by a standardized well-being questionnaire. Fifty-seven participants were selected and randomly assigned to one of three different exposure scenarios. Each of those scenarios subjected participants to five 50-min exposure sessions, with only the first four relevant for the study of psychological symptoms. Three exposure levels were created by shielding devices in a field laboratory, which could be installed or removed during the breaks between sessions such that double-blinded conditions prevailed. The overall median power flux densities were 5.2 microW/m(2) during "low," 153.6 microW/m(2) during "medium," and 2126.8 microW/m(2) during "high" exposure sessions. For scenario HM and MH, the first and third sessions were "low" exposure. The second session was "high" and the fourth was "medium" in scenario HM; and vice versa for scenario MH. Scenario LL had four successive "low" exposure sessions constituting the reference condition. Participants in scenarios HM and MH (high and medium exposure) were significantly calmer during those sessions than participants in scenario LL (low exposure throughout) (P = 0.042). However, no significant differences between exposure scenarios in the "good mood" or "alertness" factors were obtained. We conclude that short-term exposure to GSM base station signals may have an impact on well-being by reducing psychological arousal., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Background: There is a lack of effective systemic or adequate symptomatic treatment for pain associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Anecdotes suggest ultraviolet (UV) light may be of some benefit., Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine if UV is effective in ameliorating chronic pain in persons with FMS., Methods: Nineteen subjects with FMS were enrolled in a controlled trial of UV and non-UV (control) tanning beds for 2 weeks, followed by randomization to receive UV or non-UV (control) exposure for 6 additional weeks. A follow-up interview was conducted 4 weeks after the last treatment. Pain was assessed with an 11-point numerical pain rating (Likert scale), a visual analogue pain scale (VAS), and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Mood variables were also assessed., Results: During the initial 2 weeks when subjects received both UV and non-UV (control) exposures, the 11-point Likert scale pain score decreased 0.44 points after exposure to UV from pre-exposure levels (S.E. = .095). Additionally, UV exposure resulted in greater positive affect, well-being, relaxation, and reduced pain levels when compared to non-UV (control) exposure (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.80, p = 0.0059). Following the randomized treatment period, there was slight improvement in pain as measured by the McGill Pain Questionnaire in the UV group compared to the non-UV (control) group (12.2 versus 14.1; p = 0.049); the other pain scales yielded nonsignificant results. Assessment 4 weeks after the last treatment showed no significant differences in scores in the adjusted means for outcomes., Conclusions: Results from this pilot study suggest that tanning beds may have some potential in reducing pain in persons with FMS.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a reliable technique to improve motor learning. We here wanted to test its potential to enhance associative verbal learning, a skill crucial for both acquiring new languages in healthy individuals and for language reacquisition after stroke-induced aphasia. We applied tDCS (20 min, 1 mA) over the posterior part of the left peri-sylvian area of 19 young right-handed individuals while subjects acquired a miniature lexicon of 30 novel object names. Every subject participated in one session of anodal tDCS, one session of cathodal tDCS, and one sham session in a randomized and double-blinded design with three parallel versions of the miniature lexicon. Outcome measures were learning speed and learning success at the end of each session, and the transfer to the subjects' native language after the respective stimulation. With anodal stimulation, subjects showed faster and better associative learning as compared to sham stimulation. Mood ratings, reaction times, and response styles were comparable between stimulation conditions. Our results demonstrate that anodal tDCS is a promising technique to enhance language learning in healthy adults and may also have the potential to improve language reacquisition after stroke.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) patients crave and eat more carbohydrates (CHO) in fall-winter when depressed, especially in the evenings, and feel energetic thereafter. Evening CHO-rich meals can phase delay circadian rhythms, and glucose increases retinal response to light. We studied timed CHO- or protein-rich (PROT) diet as a putative therapy for SAD. Unmedicated, DSM-IV-diagnosed depressed women with SAD (n=22, 19-63 yrs) in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (present in 19) were randomized to nine days of eating approximately 1600 kcal of either CHO before 12:00 h (n=9), CHO after 18:00 h (n=6), or PROT after 18:00 h (n=7); only water was allowed for the rest of the day. Measurements included the depression questionnaire SIGH-SAD (with 21-item Hamilton depression subscale), Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), percentage fat (by bioimpedancemetry), clinical biochemistry (glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, TSH, T4, cortisol), and electroretinogram (ERG). No differential effects of diet were found on any of the studied parameters (except DEBQ). Clinically, participants improved slightly; the 21-HDRS score (mean+/-SD) decreased from 19.6+/-6.4 to 14.4+/-7.4 (p=.004). Percent change correlated significantly with menstrual day at diet onset (mood improved the first week after menstruation onset), change in available sunshine (more sunlight, better mood), and initial percentage fat (fatter patients improved more). Scotopic ERG amplitude was diminished after treatment (p=.025, three groups combined), probably due to greater exposure to sunshine in 14/22 subjects (partial correlation analysis significant). Keeping in mind the limitations of this ambulatory study (i.e., inability to control outdoor light exposure, small number of participants, and briefness of intervention), it is suggested that the 25% clinical improvement (of the order of magnitude of placebo) is not related to nutrient diet or its timing, but rather to natural changes during the menstrual cycle, available sunshine, and ease of dieting for fatter patients.

Objective: To identify indoor tanning patterns with relevance for health screening and prevention efforts., Design: We collected data on indoor tanning patterns from January 17, 2006, through April 14, 2006. By cluster analysis, 4 patterns of indoor tanning were identified: special event, spontaneous or mood, mixed, and regular year-round tanning. These 4 types of indoor tanning were compared by demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables for clinically significant differences., Setting: Midsized (ie, approximately 12 000 students) southeastern university., Participants: A total of 168 women who tanned indoors., Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported attitudes, intentions and tanning behaviors, and tanning dependence., Results: Event tanners tanned the least, started tanning the latest, and scored lowest on measures of attitudes, social norms, and tanning dependence measures. Regular year-round tanners started the earliest, tanned at the highest levels, and scored the highest on the attitude, social norms, and tanning dependence measures. Spontaneous or mood tanners were similar to event tanners but with a mood component to their tanning. Mixed tanners, as the name implies, exhibited behavior that appeared to be a mixture of the regular and event tanning types., Conclusions: The results of this study emphasize the fact that "one size fits all" does not apply when it comes to indoor tanning. Tanning behavioral types, which can be clinically assessed, can serve as a guide to physicians so that they can tailor their skin cancer prevention messages to be more effective.