The Light-Dosimeter: A new device to help advance research on the non-visual responses to light

Stampfli, Janine; Schrader, B.; Battista, Cosima; Häfliger, R; Schälli, Othmar; Wichmann, G; Zumbühl, Christoph; Blattner, Peter; Cajochen, Christian; Lazar, Rafael; Spitschan, Manuel

doi:10.1177/14771535221147140

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Novel Light Logger Capturing α-Opic Quantities in the Corneal Plane More recently, Stampfli et al [51] developed a novel light logger which attaches to the side of spectacle frames (Fig. 1), placing the sensor in the plane of the cornea, the front surface of the eye.…”

Section: Measuring Light With Wearable Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Usability and Acceptability of a Corneal-Plane α-Opic Light Logger in a 24-h Field Trial

Balajadia,

Garcia,

Stampfli

et al. 2023

Digit Biomark

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Introduction: Exposure to light fundamentally influences human physiology and behaviour by synchronising our biological clock to the external light-dark cycle and controlling melatonin production. In addition to well-controlled laboratory studies, more naturalistic approaches to examining these “non-visual” effects of light have been developed in recent years. As naturalistic light exposure is quite unlike well-controlled stimulus conditions in the laboratory, it is critical to measure light exposure in a person-referenced way, the “spectral diet.” To this end, light loggers have been developed to capture personalised light exposure. As an alternative to light sensors integrated into wrist-worn actimeters, pendants, or brooch-based light loggers, a recently developed wearable light logger laterally attached to spectacle frames enables the measurement of biologically relevant quantities in the corneal plane. Methods: Here, we examine the usability and acceptability of using the light logger in an undergraduate student sample (n = 18, mean±1SD: 20.1 ± 1.7 years; 9 female; Oxford, UK) in real-world conditions during a 24-h measurement period. We probed the acceptability of the light logger using rating questionnaires and open-ended questions. Results: Our quantitative results show a modest acceptability of the light logger. A thematic analysis of the open-ended questions reveals that the form factor of the device, in particular, size, weight, and stability, and reactions from other people to the wearer of the light logger, were commonly mentioned aspects. Conclusion: In sum, the results indicate the miniaturisation of light loggers and “invisible” integration into extant everyday objects as key areas for future technological development, facilitating the availability of light exposure data for developing personalised intervention strategies in both research, clinical and consumer contexts.

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Section: Measuring Light With Wearable Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Usability and Acceptability of a Corneal-Plane α-Opic Light Logger in a 24-h Field Trial

Balajadia,

Garcia,

Stampfli

et al. 2023

Digit Biomark

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“…However, for sample sizes that may yield evidence for the genetic underpinnings, there are no convenient assays for NIF function that can be deployed at scale. Ways forward could lie in a variety of different techniques, including miniaturized wearable light sensors (Casson, 2023; Hartmeyer & Andersen, 2023; Hartmeyer et al, 2022; Joyce et al, 2020; Mohamed et al, 2021; Spitschan et al, 2022; Stampfli et al, 2023); smartphone-deployed apps probing alertness, cognition, and other parameters (Gardesevic et al, 2022; Klein et al, 2021; Shatte & Teague, 2020); ambulatory systems for measuring hormone concentrations continuously (Grant et al, 2022); and novel nonintrusive ways of measuring sleep–wake rhythms over long periods (Alkalih et al, 2022).…”

Section: Knowledge Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human-Centric Lighting Research and Policy in the Melanopsin Age

Spitschan,

Joyce

2023

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences

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Beyond visual function, specialized light-sensitive retinal circuits involving the photopigment melanopsin drive critical aspects of human physiology and behavior, including sleep–wake rhythms, hormone production, mood, and cognition. Fundamental discoveries of visual neurobiology dating back to the 1990s have given rise to strong interest from the lighting industry in optimizing lighting to benefit health. Consequently, evidence-based recommendations, regulations, and policies need to translate current knowledge of neurobiology into practice. Here, reviewing recent advances in understanding of NIF circuits in humans leads to proposed strategies to optimize electric lighting. Highlighted knowledge gaps must be addressed urgently, as well as the challenge of developing personalized, adaptive NIF lighting interventions accounting for complex individual differences in physiology, behavior, and environment. Finally, lighting equity issues appear in the context of marginalized groups, who have traditionally been underserved in research on both fundamental visual processes and applied lighting. Biologically optimal light is a fundamental environmental right.

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“…A simple design could integrate a spectrophotometer with suitable data processing. Alternatively, cheap multichannel light sensors, that are increasingly applied to measure human α-opic irradiances [40,41] could be recalibrated to measure species specific metrics [39]. Examples of commercially available light meters and spectrophotometers are provided in Supplementary Table 2.…”

Section: Measuring α-Opic Quantities In Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

In the Eye of the Beholder: Measuring and Standardising Light for Laboratory Mammals

Lucas,

Allan,

brainard

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Light enables vision and exerts widespread effects on physiology and behaviour, including regulating circadian rhythms, sleep, hormone synthesis, affective state, and cognitive processes. Appropriate lighting in animal facilities may support welfare and ensure that animals enter experiments in a controlled physiological and behavioural state. Proper consideration of light during experimentation - both when it is explicitly employed as an independent variable and as a general feature of the environment - has the potential to provide more informative experimental designs and more reliable outcomes, contributing to Reduction and Refinement, helping to ensure more ethical animal use, and improving data quality. As such, it is unfortunate that ambient light for animals is typically quantified in units (lux) designed for human observers. We report the consensus views of an expert working group, with expertise spanning mammalian photobiology, neurobiology and animal husbandry and welfare, convened in February 2023 to agree upon metrics for light appropriate for non-human mammals and their application to improve animal welfare and the quality of animal research. We conclude that species-specific versions of the recently standardised a-opic metrology represent the best available approach to quantifying light. We provide methods for measuring these quantities; practical guidance for their implementation in husbandry and experimentation; and quantitative guidance on appropriate light exposure for laboratory mammals.

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The Light-Dosimeter: A new device to help advance research on the non-visual responses to light

Cited by 13 publications

References 20 publications

Usability and Acceptability of a Corneal-Plane α-Opic Light Logger in a 24-h Field Trial

Usability and Acceptability of a Corneal-Plane α-Opic Light Logger in a 24-h Field Trial

Human-Centric Lighting Research and Policy in the Melanopsin Age

In the Eye of the Beholder: Measuring and Standardising Light for Laboratory Mammals

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