Home-Based Mice Colony Explores the Effect of Light Therapy on the Cognitive Functions of Circadian Rhythm Disruption in Mice

Abstract

The fast and non-invasive modulation of brain activity has shown promising therapeutic potential for treating neurological disorders. Gamma-frequency light therapy has been proven effective in treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, its broader therapeutic potential remains unclear. In this study, light therapy was used to treat cognitive dysfunction induced by circadian rhythm disruption in mouse models. First, a light therapy treatment device was built to produce flickering LED light at a 30 Hz gamma frequency. Second, a home-based mouse colony and an artificial circadian rhythm induction chamber were built to induce circadian rhythm disruption in mice during different patterns of light-dark cycles. Circadian rhythm induction was confirmed by video tracking and analysis. Mouse behavior tasks, including the Morris water maze test, forced swim test, and open field test, tested the spatial learning and memory, depression levels, and stress levels of the mice, respectively. The results showed that circadian rhythm disruption affected the spatial learning and memory of the mice but had negligible effects on depression and stress levels. Light therapy was able to improve the spatial learning and memory dysfunction in a specific group of circadian-disrupted mice. This study demonstrates the feasibility of light therapy as a treatment for circadian rhythm disruption. More efforts are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of light therapy and feasibility for human use.