High Sensitivity of Human Melatonin, Alertness, Thermoregulation, and Heart Rate to Short Wavelength Light

TLDR

Light elicits acute physiological and alerting responses in humans, with magnitude depending on timing, intensity, and duration, and nonclassical ocular photoreceptors peaking at ~460 nm regulate circadian rhythm via melatonin suppression and phase shifting. The study reports that the alerting response of light, as well as its effects on thermoregulation and heart rate, are wavelength dependent. Exposure to 2 h of 460‑nm light in the late evening produced markedly greater melatonin suppression, alertness, core body temperature, and heart rate than 550‑nm light, while both wavelengths reduced the distal‑proximal skin temperature gradient; these results show that the human alerting response and thermoregulatory effects are blue‑shifted relative to the photopic system, implicating nonclassical photoreceptors in modulating alertness, thermophysiology, and heart rate.

Abstract

Light can elicit acute physiological and alerting responses in humans, the magnitude of which depends on the timing, intensity, and duration of light exposure. Here, we report that the alerting response of light as well as its effects on thermoregulation and heart rate are also wavelength dependent. Exposure to 2 h of monochromatic light at 460 nm in the late evening induced a significantly greater melatonin suppression than occurred with 550-nm monochromatic light, concomitant with a significantly greater alerting response and increased core body temperature and heart rate (∼2.8 × 1013 photons/cm2/sec for each light treatment). Light diminished the distal-proximal skin temperature gradient, a measure of the degree of vasoconstriction, independent of wavelength. Nonclassical ocular photoreceptors with peak sensitivity around 460 nm have been found to regulate circadian rhythm function as measured by melatonin suppression and phase shifting. Our findings—that the sensitivity of the human alerting response to light and its thermoregulatory sequelae are blue-shifted relative to the three-cone visual photopic system—indicate an additional role for these novel photoreceptors in modifying human alertness, thermophysiology, and heart rate.