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Hurley, S., Nelson, D. O., Garcia, E., Gunier, R., Hertz, A., & Reynolds, P. (2013). A cross-sectional analysis of light at night, neighborhood sociodemographics and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin concentrations: implications for the conduct of health studies. Int J Health Geogr, 12(1), 39.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: There is accumulating evidence that circadian disruption, mediated by alterations in melatonin levels, may play an etiologic role in a wide variety of diseases. The degree to which light-at-night (LAN) and other factors can alter melatonin levels is not well-documented. Our primary objective was to evaluate the degree to which estimates of outdoor environmental LAN predict 6-sulftoxymelatonin (aMT6s), the primary urinary metabolite of melatonin. We also evaluated other potential behavioral, sociodemographic, and anthropomorphic predictors of aMT6s. METHODS: Study participants consisted of 303 members of the California Teachers Study who provided a 24-hour urine specimen and completed a self-administered questionnaire in 2000. Urinary aMT6s was measured using the Buhlmann ELISA. Outdoor LAN levels were estimated from satellite imagery data obtained from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Operational Linescan System and assigned to study participants' geocoded residential address. Information on other potential predictors of aMT6s was derived from self-administered surveys. Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) was based on U.S. Census block group data. RESULTS: Lower aMT6s levels were significantly associated with older age, shorter nights, and residential locations in lower SES neighborhoods. Outdoor sources of LAN estimated using low-dynamic range DMSP data had insufficient variability across urban neighborhoods to evaluate. While high-dynamic range DMSP offered much better variability, it was not significantly associated with urinary aMT6s. CONCLUSIONS: Future health studies should utilize the high-dynamic range DMSP data and should consider other potential sources of circadian disruption associated with living in lower SES neighborhoods.
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Kayaba, M., Iwayama, K., Ogata, H., Seya, Y., Tokuyama, K., & Satoh, M. (2013). Drowsiness and low energy metabolism in the following morning induced by nocturnal blue light exposure. Sleep Medicine, 14, e166–e167.
Abstract: Introduction
Evening light exposure debilitates the circadian rhythm and elicits sleep disturbance. Blue light peak wavelengths, around 460 nm, suppress melatonin secretion via the non-image-forming system. The effects of nocturnal blue light exposure on sleep have been reported to be specific but rather small (Münch, 2008). This study was designed to assess the effect of nocturnal blue light exposure on sleep and energy metabolism until noon the next day.
Materials and methods
Nine healthy male volunteers aged between 21 and 25 participated in this study which had a balanced cross-over design with intrasubject comparisons. After 2 h dark adaptation, the subjects were exposed to blue light or no light for 2 h. The peak wavelength of the blue LED was 465 nm, and the horizontal irradiance of the blue light at the height of eye was at 7.02fÊW/cm2. Sleep was recorded polysomnographically, and energy metabolism was measured with a whole body indirect calorimeter.
Results
There were no significant differences in sleep architecture and energy metabolism during the night. However, dozing (stages 1 and 2) was significantly higher (26.0 < 29.4 vs 6.3 < 8.1 min, P < 0.05), and energy expenditure, O2 consumption, CO2 production and the thermic effect of food (increase in energy expenditure after breakfast) were significantly lower the following morning in the blue light exposure subjects.
Conclusion
Contrary to our expectation, sleep architecture and energy metabolism during sleep were not affected by evening exposure to blue light. It might be due to our milder intervention by which subjects in a sitting position did not gaze at the light source set on the ceiling, while the subjects in previous studies directly received brighter light via custom built goggles (Cajochen, 2005; Münch, 2008) or gazed at a light source under the influence of mydriatic agents to dilate pupils (Brainard, 2001). New findings of the present study were that dozing (stages 1 and 2) was significantly increased, and energy metabolism was significantly lower the following morning in blue light exposed subjects. This suggests that modulation of the circadian rhythm is affected by nocturnal blue light exposure and the effect continues in the following daytime even if the intervention was mild.
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Landgraf, D., McCarthy, M. J., & Welsh, D. K. (2014). The role of the circadian clock in animal models of mood disorders. Behav Neurosci, 128(3), 344–359.
Abstract: An association between circadian clock function and mood regulation is well established and has been proposed as a factor in the development of mood disorders. Patients with depression or mania suffer disturbed sleep-wake cycles and altered rhythms in daily activities. Environmentally disrupted circadian rhythms increase the risk of mood disorders in the general population. However, proof that a disturbance of circadian rhythms is causally involved in the development of psychiatric disorders remains elusive. Using clock gene mutants, manipulations of sleep-wake and light-dark cycles, and brain lesions affecting clock function, animal models have been developed to investigate whether circadian rhythm disruptions alter mood. In this review, selected animal models are examined to address the issue of causality between circadian rhythms and affective behavior.
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LeGates, T. A., Fernandez, D. C., & Hattar, S. (2014). Light as a central modulator of circadian rhythms, sleep and affect. Nat Rev Neurosci, 15(7), 443–454.
Abstract: Light has profoundly influenced the evolution of life on earth. As widely appreciated, light enables us to generate images of our environment. However, light – through intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) – also influences behaviours that are essential for our health and quality of life but are independent of image formation. These include the synchronization of the circadian clock to the solar day, tracking of seasonal changes and the regulation of sleep. Irregular light environments lead to problems in circadian rhythms and sleep, which eventually cause mood and learning deficits. Recently, it was found that irregular light can also directly affect mood and learning without producing major disruptions in circadian rhythms and sleep. In this Review, we discuss the indirect and direct influence of light on mood and learning, and provide a model for how light, the circadian clock and sleep interact to influence mood and cognitive functions.
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Nehme, P. A., Amaral, F., Lowden, A., Skene, D. J., Cipolla-Neto, J., & Moreno, C. R. C. (2019). Reduced melatonin synthesis in pregnant night workers: metabolic implications for offspring. Medical Hypotheses, 132, 109353.
Abstract: Several novel animal studies have shown that intrauterine metabolic programming can be modified in the event of reduced melatonin synthesis during pregnancy, leading to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in the offspring. It is therefore postulated that female night workers when pregnant may expose the offspring to unwanted health threats. This may be explained by the fact that melatonin is essential for regulating energy metabolism and can influence reproductive activity. Moreover, the circadian misalignment caused by shift work affects fertility and the fetus, increasing the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight, phenomena observed in night workers. Thus, we hypothesize that light-induced melatonin suppression as a result of night work may alter intrauterine metabolic programming in pregnant women, potentially leading to metabolic disorders in their offspring.
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