Time-Varying Light Exposure in Chronobiology and Sleep Research Experiments

Manuel Spitschan

doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.654158

Time-Varying Light Exposure in Chronobiology and Sleep Research Experiments

Front Neurol. 2021 Jul 15:12:654158. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.654158. eCollection 2021.

Author

Manuel Spitschan^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
² Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel (UPK), Basel, Switzerland.
³ Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract

Light exposure profoundly affects human physiology and behavior through circadian and neuroendocrine photoreception primarily through the melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Recent research has explored the possibility of using temporally patterned stimuli to manipulate circadian and neuroendocrine responses to light. This mini-review, geared to chronobiologists, sleep researchers, and scientists in adjacent disciplines, has two objectives: (1) introduce basic concepts in time-varying stimuli and (2) provide a checklist-based set of recommendations for documenting time-varying light exposures based on current best practices and standards.

Keywords: circadian photoreception; ipRGCs; melanopsin; non-visual effects of light; reporting; temporal stimuli; time-varying light exposure.

Publication types

Review