Light as a Modulator of Cognitive Brain Function.

Gilles Vandewalle, PhD

Centre d'etude du sommeil et des rythmes biologiques
Hopital du Sacre-Coeur
Universite de Montreal
Montreal, Quebec

Humans are a diurnal species usually exposed to light while engaged in cognitive tasks. Light not only guides performance on these tasks through vision but also exerts non-visual effects that are mediated in part by recently discovered retinal ganglion cells maximally sensitive to blue light. We review recent neuroimaging studies which demonstrate that the wavelength, duration and intensity of light exposure modulate brain responses to (non-visual) cognitive tasks. These responses to light are initially observed in alertness-related subcortical structures (hypothalamus, brainstem, thalamus) and limbic areas (amygdala and hippocampus), followed by modulations of activity in cortical areas, which can ultimately affect behaviour. Light emerges as an important modulator of brain function and cognition.

References

Trends Cogn Sci. 2009 Oct;13(10):429-38. Epub 2009 Sep 12.

Predictors of Clinical Pain in Fibromyalgia: Examining the Role of Sleep

Anderson RJ, McCrae CS, Staud R, Berry RB, Robinson ME.
Department of Clinical and Health...

Bidirectional interactions between circadian entrainment and cognitive performance

Gritton HJ, Kantorowski A, Sarter M, Lee TM.
Department of Psychology, University of...

Subjective, anatomical, and functional nasal evaluation of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

de Aguiar Vidigal T, Martinho Haddad FL, Gregório LC, Poyares D, Tufik S, Azeredo...

Sleep disturbances and fatigue: independent predictors of sickness absence? A prospective study among 6538 employees

Bültmann U, Nielsen MB, Madsen IE, Burr H, Rugulies R.
Department of Health Sciences,...

The role of presleep negative emotion in sleep physiology

Vandekerckhove M, Weiss R, Schotte C, Exadaktylos V, Haex B, Verbraecken J, Cluydts R....