title: Effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8 and 12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time × group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology Verve, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Mikko P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tulppo
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jurvelin
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology Verve, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Eka
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roivainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Oulu Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Juuso
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nissilä
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology Verve, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Arto J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hautala
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology Verve, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kiviniemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Oulu Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Vesa J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Kiviniemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takala
keywords: cognition; ice-hockey; motor speed; seasonal darkness; transcranial treatment