Light and Human Health: An Overview of the Impact of Optical Radiation on Visual, Circadian, Neuroendocrine and Neurobehavioral Responses

Published by	Publication Date	Number of Pages
IES	04/01/2018	30

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IES TM-18 – Light and Human Health: An Overview of the Impact of Optical Radiation on Visual, Circadian, Neuroendocrine and Neurobehavioral Responses

In brief, this Technical Memorandum describes theretinal mechanisms involved when optical radiationsignals are converted into neural signals (a phenomenacalled phototransduction) for vision andfor other body functions. Optical radiation reachingthe retina not only impacts on how humans see theworld, it also regulates physiology and behavior, bothdirectly and indirectly. This includes acute effectssuch as suppressing pineal melatonin production,elevating morning cortisol production, increasingsubjective alertness, enhancing psychomotor performance,changing brain activation patterns to a morealert state, elevating heart rate, increasing core bodytemperature, activating pupil constriction, and evenstimulating circadian clock gene expression.