Temporal dynamics of late-night photic stimulation of the human circadian timing system.
The light-dark cycle is the primary synchronizing factor that keeps the internal circadian pacemaker appropriately aligned with the environmental 24-h day. Although it is known that ocular light exposure can effectively shift the human circadian pacemaker and do so in an intensity-dependent manner, the curve that describes the relationship between light intensity and pacemaker response has not been fully characterized for light exposure in the late biological night. We exposed subjects to 3 consecutive days of 5 h of experimental light, centered 1.5 h after the timing of the fitted minimum of core body temperature, and show that such light can phase advance shift the human circadian pacemaker in an intensity-dependent manner, with a logistic model best describing the relationship between light intensity and phase shift. A similar sigmoidal relationship is also observed between light intensity and the suppression of plasma melatonin concentrations that occurs during the experimental light exposure. As with a simpler, 1-day light exposure during the early biological night, our data indicate that the human circadian pacemaker is highly sensitive even to typical room light intensities during the late biological night, with approximately 100 lux evoking half of the effects observed with light 10 times as bright.
Zeitzer
Jamie M
JM
Div. of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, Ste. 438, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Khalsa
Sat Bir S
SB
Boivin
Diane B
DB
Duffy
Jeanne F
JF
Shanahan
Theresa L
TL
Kronauer
Richard E
RE
Czeisler
Charles A
CA
D000328:Adult; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood / Q000528:radiation effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors
D008550:Melatonin