Brain responses to violet, blue, and green monochromatic light exposures in humans: prominent role of blue light and the brainstem.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Relatively long duration retinal light exposure elicits nonvisual responses in humans, including modulation of alertness and cognition. These responses are thought to be mediated in part by melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells which are more sensitive to blue light than violet or green light. The contribution of the melanopsin system and the brain mechanisms involved in the establishment of such responses to light remain to be established.

Methodology/principal findings

We exposed 15 participants to short duration (50 s) monochromatic violet (430 nm), blue (473 nm), and green (527 nm) light exposures of equal photon flux (10(13)ph/cm(2)/s) while they were performing a working memory task in fMRI. At light onset, blue light, as compared to green light, incr

SUBMITTER: Vandewalle G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2082413 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature