Light Effects on Behavioural Performance Depend on the Individual State of Vigilance

Correa, Ángel; Barba, Antonio; Padilla, Francisca

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164945

Cited by 22 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…Exposure to blue-enriched light has been proposed as a resource for enhancing alertness and cognitive performance in adverse circumstances, such as at nighttime ( Lockley et al, 2006 ; Phipps-Nelson et al, 2009 ; Chellappa et al, 2011 ; Kretschmer et al, 2011 ; Taillard et al, 2012 ; Correa et al, 2016 ) or after sleep restriction ( Phipps-Nelson et al, 2003 ; Gabel et al, 2013 , 2015 ). Cognitive effects of light have been studied also during daytime ( Vandewalle et al, 2006 , 2007 , 2011 ; Huiberts et al, 2015 ; Smolders and de Kort, 2017 ), but its influence in extreme chronotypes performing at their suboptimal time of day had not been addressed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue-Enriched Light Enhances Alertness but Impairs Accurate Performance in Evening Chronotypes Driving in the Morning

et al. 2018

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Attention maintenance is highly demanding and typically leads to vigilance decrement along time on task. Therefore, performance in tasks involving vigilance maintenance for long periods, such as driving, tends to deteriorate over time. Cognitive performance has been demonstrated to fluctuate over 24 h of the day (known as circadian oscillations), thus showing peaks and troughs depending on the time of day (leading to optimal and suboptimal times of day, respectively). Consequently, vigilance decrements are more pronounced along time on task when it is performed at suboptimal times of day. According to research, light exposure (especially blue-enriched white) enhances alertness. Thus, it has been proposed to prevent the vigilance decrement under such adverse circumstances. We aimed to explore the effects of blue-enriched white light (vs. dim light) on the performance of a simulated driving task at a suboptimal time of day. A group of evening-types was tested at 8 am, as this chronotype had previously shown their largest vigilance decrement at that time. In the dim light condition, vigilance decrements were expected on both subjective (as increments in the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale scores) and behavioral measures [as slower reaction times (RTs) in the auditory Psychomotor Vigilance Task, slower RTs to unexpected events during driving, and deteriorated driving accuracy along time on task]. Physiological activation was expected to decrease (as indexed by an increase of the distal-proximal temperature gradient, DPG). Under blue-enriched white light, all these trends should be attenuated. Results from the control dim light condition replicated the vigilance decrement in all measures. Most important, the blue-enriched white light attenuated this decrement, leading to both lower DPG and faster RTs. However, it impaired accuracy of driving performance, and did not have any effect on subjective sleepiness. We conclude that exposure to blue-enriched light provides an effective countermeasure to enhance vigilance performance at suboptimal times of day, according to measures such as RTs. However, it should be considered that alerting effects of light could impair accuracy in precision tasks as keeping a proper car position. The current findings provide ergonomic implications for safety and fatigue related management systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue-Enriched Light Enhances Alertness but Impairs Accurate Performance in Evening Chronotypes Driving in the Morning

et al. 2018

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“…To date, multiple studies have investigated diurnal acute non–image forming (NIF) effects of light intensity on alertness (e.g., Badia et al, 1991 ; Daurat et al., 1993 ; Huiberts et al, 2015 , 2016 ; Phipps-Nelson et al, 2003 ; Rüger et al, 2006 ; Vandewalle et al, 2006 ), complementing a large body of research on the nocturnal effects of light on alertness (e.g., Cajochen et al, 2000 ; Dijk et al, 1991 ; Chellappa et al, 2013 ; Correa et al, 2016 ; Figueiro et al, 2007 ; Lavoie et al, 2002 ; Lockley et al, 2006 ; Myers and Badia, 1993 ). While there are indications that light may induce acute alertness-enhancing effects during daytime, the current findings on subjective and objective indicators of alertness are inconclusive, as some studies reported beneficial effects while others reported no significant light-induced modulations in alertness (for reviews, see Lok et al, 2018a [this issue]; Souman et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Dose-Response Relationships for Effects of White Light Exposure on Correlates of Alertness and Executive Control during Regular Daytime Working Hours

et al. 2018

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To date, it is largely unknown which light settings define the optimum to steer alertness and cognitive control during regular daytime working hours. In the current article, we used a multimeasure approach combined with a relatively large sample size (N = 60) and a large range of intensity levels (20-2000 lux at eye level) to investigate the dose-dependent relationship between light and correlates of alertness and executive control during regular working hours in the morning and afternoon. Each participant was exposed to a single-intensity light level for 1 h after a 30-min baseline phase (100 lux at the eye) in the morning and afternoon (on separate days) during their daily routine. Results revealed no clear dose-dependent relationships between 1-h daytime light exposure and correlates of alertness or executive control. Subjective correlates showed only very modest linear relationships with the log-transformed illuminance, and we found no significant effects of light intensity on the behavioral and physiological indicators. Overall, these results suggest that daytime exposure to more intense light, at least for 1 h of exposure, may not systematically benefit alertness or executive functioning. However, future research is required to investigate effects of longer exposure durations and potential moderations by prior light exposure, personal characteristics, and spectrum.

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“…These cells transmit signals to hypothalamic nuclei, which in turn regulate the production of melatonin ( 16 , 17 ). Morning exposure to blue wavelength light leads to a suppression of melatonin production, which contributes to a phase delay and stabilization of the circadian rhythm ( 18 ), increases daytime alertness and vigilance, and earlier onset of evening sleep ( 19 , 20 ). Interestingly, a recent clinical trial showed that 4 weeks of 45 min of morning blue-light therapy (BLT) in comparison to longer wavelength placebo light was effective at reducing self-rated fatigue and daytime sleepiness among individuals recovering from TBI ( 21 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue-Light Therapy following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects on White Matter Water Diffusion in the Brain

et al. 2017

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Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common and often inconspicuous wound that is frequently associated with chronic low-grade symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Previous evidence suggests that daily blue wavelength light therapy may be effective at reducing fatigue and improving sleep in patients recovering from mTBI. However, the effects of light therapy on recovering brain structure remain unexplored. In this study, we analyzed white matter diffusion properties, including generalized fractional anisotropy, and the quantity of water diffusion in isotropic (i.e., isotropic diffusion) and anisotropic fashion (i.e., quantitative anisotropy, QA) for fibers crossing 11 brain areas known to be significantly affected following mTBI. Specifically, we investigated how 6 weeks of daily morning blue light exposure therapy (compared to an amber-light placebo condition) impacted changes in white matter diffusion in individuals with mTBI. We observed a significant impact of the blue light treatment (relative to the placebo) on the amount of water diffusion (QA) for multiple brain areas, including the corpus callosum, anterior corona radiata, and thalamus. Moreover, many of these changes were associated with improvements in sleep latency and delayed memory. These findings suggest that blue wavelength light exposure may serve as one of the potential non-pharmacological treatments for facilitating structural and functional recovery following mTBI; they also support the use of QA as a reliable neuro-biomarker for mTBI therapies.

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Light Effects on Behavioural Performance Depend on the Individual State of Vigilance

Cited by 22 publications

References 38 publications

Blue-Enriched Light Enhances Alertness but Impairs Accurate Performance in Evening Chronotypes Driving in the Morning

Blue-Enriched Light Enhances Alertness but Impairs Accurate Performance in Evening Chronotypes Driving in the Morning

Investigation of Dose-Response Relationships for Effects of White Light Exposure on Correlates of Alertness and Executive Control during Regular Daytime Working Hours

Blue-Light Therapy following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects on White Matter Water Diffusion in the Brain

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