Abstract
BackgroundBright light (BL) has been shown to be effective in enhancing both cognitive and physical performances. Alterations in nighttime melatonin levels have also been observed. However, evaluations of light-induced changes in the preceding biochemical processes are absent. Therefore, the impact of a single morning BL exposure on sensorimotor and visuomotor performance, as well as tryptophan (trp) and trp metabolites, was evaluated in this study.MethodsIn a crossover design, 33 healthy volunteers were randomly exposed to 30 min of < 150 lx at eye level (office light, OL) and 5000 lx at eye level (bright light, BL) of 6500 K in the morning hours. Trp, sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), and kynurenine (kyn) courses over the morning hours were analyzed, and changes in sensori- and visuomotor measures were examined.ResultsMotoric performance increased in both setups, independent of light intensity. aMT6s and kyn decreased equally under both lighting conditions. Trp levels decreased from a mean (95% confidence interval) of 82.0 (77.2–86.9) to 66.5 (62.5–70.1) in the OL setup only.ConclusionThese data suggest that BL in the morning hours has a limited effect on visuo- and sensorimotor performance. Nevertheless, trp degradation pathways in the morning show diverse courses after OL and BL exposure. This suggests that trp courses can potentially be altered by BL exposure.
Highlights
Bright light (BL) has been shown to be effective in enhancing both cognitive and physical performances
Participants Thirty-three participants (16 males, 17 females) with an average age of 33.0 ± 7.2 years were included in the analyses
Two volunteers were excluded during the study because of acute infections
Summary
Bright light (BL) has been shown to be effective in enhancing both cognitive and physical performances. The impact of a single morning BL exposure on sensorimotor and visuomotor performance, as well as tryptophan (trp) and trp metabolites, was evaluated in this study. Both cognitive and physical performance vary in an iterative rhythm lasting approximately 24 h. In the morning hours, performance is reduced [1, 2]. The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) play an important role in diurnal variations of mental and physical performance and strongly determine productivity and errorsusceptibility [3, 4]. SCN activity can be modulated by exogenous parameters, e.g., sleep-wake patterns, meals, activity, or light exposure
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