Dose-response relationship for light intensity and ocular and electroencephalographic correlates of human alertness

Circadian rhythms of mammals are entrained by light to follow the daily solar cycle (photoentrainment). To determine whether retinal rods and cones are required for this response, the effects of light on the regulation of circadian wheel-running behavior were examined in mice lacking these photoreceptors. Mice without cones (cl) or without both rods and cones (rdta/cl) showed unattenuated phase-shifting responses to light. Removal of the eyes abolishes this behavior. Thus, neither rods nor cones are required for photoentrainment, and the murine eye contains additional photoreceptors that regulate the circadian clock.

Bright artificial light suppressed nocturnal secretion of melatonin in six normal human subjects. Room light of less intensity, which is sufficient to suppress melatonin secretion in other mammals, failed to do so in humans. In contrast to the results of previous experiments in which ordinary room light was used, these findings establish that the human response to light is qualitatively similar to that of other mammals.

The immediate psychophysiological and behavioral effects of photic stimulation on humans [bright light (BL) of 5K lux or dim light (DL) of 50 lux] were assessed in male subjects (N = 43) under four different conditions. For one condition the same subjects (N = 16) received alternating 90-min blocks of BL and DL during the nighttime h (2300-0800 h) under sustained wakefulness conditions. A second condition was similar to the first except that subjects (N = 8) received photic stimulation during the daytime hours. For the third and fourth conditions different subjects received either continuous BL (N = 10) or continuous DL (N = 9) during the nighttime hours. For the nighttime alternating condition body temperature decreased under DL but either increased or maintained under BL. For the continuous light condition, body temperature dropped sharply across the night under DL but dropped only slightly under BL. Sleepiness was considerably greater under DL than under BL, and the difference became larger as the night progressed. Similarly, alertness, measured by EEG beta activity, was greater under BL, and nighttime performance on behavioral tasks was also generally better. There were no differential effects between BL and DL on any measure during the daytime. These data indicate that light exerts a powerful, immediate effect on physiology and behavior in addition to its powerful influence on circadian organization.