Emerging Science

Blue light exposure influences your amygdala

Exposure to Blue Wavelength Light Is Associated With Increases in Bidirectional Amygdala-DLPFC Connectivity at Rest Source: Frontier in Neurology DLPFC (Dorsolateral PFC) Region in the prefrontal cortex of the brain that plays a vital role in: Executive functions Working memory Cognitive flexibility Planning, and Abstract reasoning Amygdala It serves as a central hub for: Emotion

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Daytime exposure to blue light improves cognitive performance in college-aged adults

Summary 39 College students were tested withvarying Melanopic “blue enrichedlight exposure” Duration: 7 days and nights Limited to a maximum of only 7 hours sleep per night Findings “Exposure to short-wavelength (blue) enriched …light during the daytime is associated with: Significantly less sleepiness Better working memory, processing speed, and procedural learning Performance speed on a

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Circadian-informed lighting improves vigilance, sleep, and subjective sleepiness during simulated night-shift work

“Participants slept 52 minutes longer by day 7, with circadian-informed lighting versus control” Source: Oxford Academic – Sleep Findings: “These findings highlight the potential for lighting interventions to help: Enhance worker performance Bolster overall safety Mitigate health risks …particularly in workplace settings with chronic dim lighting such as those found across healthcare, manufacturing, and defense

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Impact of SSRIs (antidepressants) on light sensitivity and sleep

The SSRI citalopram increases the sensitivity of the human circadian system to light to an acute dose   Release of Melatonin (Melatonin Onset) Healthy sleeper, under dim light: 2-hours 40 minutes before bedtime Healthy sleeper with a placebo and exposed to 100 lx room light (no SSRIs): 1-hour 9 minutes before bedtime Healthy sleeper with

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How light exposure can affect your mental health

Scientific finding: Low daytime light and bright night-time light are associated with psychiatric disorders: an objective light study in >85,000 UK Biobank participants Source: medRxiv “Greater night-time light exposure was associated with increased risk for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and self-harm behaviour……Independent of night-time light exposure, greater daytime light

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Impact of inadequate sleep on the brain & emotions

Blood flow changes in the brain due to fatigue During sleep restriction there is reduced functional connectivity between the emotion regulation centre and the emotion processing centre. This increases emotional reactivity to negative stimuli.Generally, the frontal lobes provide inhibition to the amygdala. However, when the amygdala is activated, “amygdala hijack” can result in emotional overload

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