38
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
0 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: not found

      The dark side of light at night: physiological, epidemiological, and ecological consequences.

      1 ,  
      Journal of pineal research
      Wiley

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisherPubMed
      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Organisms must adapt to the temporal characteristics of their surroundings to successfully survive and reproduce. Variation in the daily light cycle, for example, acts through endocrine and neurobiological mechanisms to control several downstream physiological and behavioral processes. Interruptions in normal circadian light cycles and the resulting disruption of normal melatonin rhythms cause widespread disruptive effects involving multiple body systems, the results of which can have serious medical consequences for individuals, as well as large-scale ecological implications for populations. With the invention of electrical lights about a century ago, the temporal organization of the environment has been drastically altered for many species, including humans. In addition to the incidental exposure to light at night through light pollution, humans also engage in increasing amounts of shift-work, resulting in repeated and often long-term circadian disruption. The increasing prevalence of exposure to light at night has significant social, ecological, behavioral, and health consequences that are only now becoming apparent. This review addresses the complicated web of potential behavioral and physiological consequences resulting from exposure to light at night, as well as the large-scale medical and ecological implications that may result.

          Related collections

          Author and article information

          Journal
          J Pineal Res
          Journal of pineal research
          Wiley
          0742-3098
          0742-3098
          Oct 2007
          : 43
          : 3
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Department of Psychology, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. knavara@gmail.com
          Article
          JPI473
          10.1111/j.1600-079X.2007.00473.x
          17803517
          9902e1d6-8f04-4adf-b401-9d07f0cdf8e8
          History

          Comments

          Comment on this article