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Abstract: Shorter wavelength light has been shown to be more eective than Helen R. Wright1, Leon C. Lack1
longer wavelengths in suppressing nocturnal melatonin and phase delaying and David J. Kennaway2
the melatonin rhythm. In the present study, dierent wavelengths of light 1
School of Psychology, Flinders University,
were evaluated for their capacity to phase advance the saliva melatonin Adelaide, South Australia; 2Department of
rhythm. Two long wavelengths, 595 nm (amber) and 660 nm (red) and three Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of
Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
shorter wavelengths, 470 nm (blue), 497 nm (blue/green), and 525 nm
(green) were compared with a no-light control condition. Light was
administered via a portable light source comprising two light-emitting diodes
per eye, with the irradiance of each diode set at 65 lW/cm2. Forty-two
volunteers participated in up to six conditions resulting in 15 per condition.
For the active light conditions, a 2-hr light pulse was administered from
06:00 hr on two consecutive mornings. Half-hourly saliva samples were
Key words: circadian rhythm, light-emitting
collected on the evening prior to the rst light pulse and the evening diodes, light wavelength, melatonin, phase
following the second light pulse. The time of melatonin onset was calculated advance
for each night and the dierence was calculated as a measure of phase Address reprint requests to Leon Lack, School
advance. The shorter wavelengths of 470, 495 and 525 nm showed the of Psychology, Flinders University, GPO Box
2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia,
greatest melatonin onset advances ranging from approximately 4065 min
Australia.
while the longer wavelengths produced no signicant phase advance. These E-mail: leon.lack@flinders.edu.au
results strengthen earlier ndings that the human circadian system is more Received February 12, 2003;
sensitive to the short wavelengths of light than the longer wavelengths. accepted October 8, 2003.
140
Light wavelengths and melatonin rhythm phase advance
to red light on three consecutive mornings for 5 hr induced Each LED was covered with a polycarbonate transparent
a phase advance of the melatonin and temperature rhythm sheath stretched over and secured at the base of each LED
of almost 1 hr. This raised the interesting possibility that to provide greater diusion of the light and greater
there may be dierent photic mechanisms for phase homogeneity of the spread of light intensity across the
advance and phase delay. It has been proposed that the front surface of the LEDs. Each diode was connected to a
mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus may have clock genes 9-V battery constant current power source using a thin,
that react dierently to a morning or evening light pulse exible power cable.
[20, 21]. Therefore it may be possible that the human Each pair of LEDs was mounted approximately in the
circadian clock is sensitive to dierent wavelengths in the middle of the eld of vision of each eye. During the light
morning as compared with evening. pulse period participants were instructed to view the
Very recently, Warman and colleagues [22] found that television just above the visual eld area stimulated by
blue light alone could phase advance the circadian system. the LEDs. As it is impossible to visually accommodate an
A single 4 hr light pulse (07:1511:15 hr) of only moder- object at 12 mm distance, the LED produced a bright,
ately intense (28 lW/cm2) short wavelength light (436 and unfocused disk of light subtending 20 angle of visual eld.
456 nm peaks) phase advanced melatonin and core body Thus the two LEDs per eye occupied two 20 diameter
temperature phase markers from 20 to 51 min. This disks of bright light just below the central or macular area
amount of phase advance was comparable with that with normal viewing of the television. As the LEDs
produced in their study by intense (4300 lW/cm2) white illuminated approximately the iris of the eye, small devia-
light which presumably would have contained considerably tions of the direction of gaze in the order of 30 from the
more light from longer wavelengths. This study would television set would not result in a decrease in eective
suggest that shorter wavelengths may be more eective in illumination of the pupil.
phase advance than long wavelength light. However, The wavelengths compared were 660 (red), 595 (amber),
neither of these two previously mentioned phase advance 525 (green), 497 (blue/green), and 470 nm (blue), with
studies [18, 22] compared dierent wavelengths of equal approximate half-peak bandwidths ranging between 10 and
irradiance. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to 18 nm [19]. They were compared with a no-light control
compare the dierent wavelengths of light for eectiveness condition. The electrical input current was adjusted so that
in phase advancing the saliva melatonin rhythm following all LEDs were equated for irradiance value of 65 lW/cm2.
morning light stimulation. Therefore, each eye, irradiated with two LEDs, received
130 lW/cm2 at the corneal surface.
141
Wright et al.
142
Light wavelengths and melatonin rhythm phase advance
Ctrl
60 * 470 intensities used in both this study and our earlier study [19].
497
50 * 525 We cannot say whether this same pattern of dierential
595
40
660 phase delays or advances with the ve wavelengths tested
will hold for less or greater irradiance than 130 lW/cm2.
30
Only a full parametric evaluation of wavelength and
20 intensity on phase change similar to the full action spectra
10 analysis for melatonin suppression [11, 12] would be able to
0
conrm the generally greater sensitivity of circadian phase
Wavelength (nm) change to shorter wavelength light. Our choice of irradiance
level was an attempt to use an intensity high enough to
Fig. 2. Mean phase advance (min) (S.E.M.) for the no-light produce clinically meaningful phase change but not so high
control condition and each light condition. * Indicates signi- as to be poorly tolerated.
cantly dierent (P < 0.05) compared with the control no-light
condition and longer wavelength amber (595 nm) and red (660 nm)
Another qualication of our results needs consideration.
LED conditions. As we were most interested in phase response under normal
physiologic conditions as in a typical clinical situation, we did
not predilate the pupils of participants before dierential
The phase advance from the 525 nm was signicantly wavelength light exposure. Hence the wavelength eect may
greater than 595 nm (P < 0.02) and marginally greater be confounded with dierential pupillary constriction. For
than 660 nm (P 0.04). There were no signicant dier- example, if there were greater pupillary constriction to long
ences between the longer wavelengths and the control wavelengths, the eectively decreased retinal irradiance may
condition. Within the group of shorter wavelengths the result in a reduced phase response. However, it has generally
470 nm light produced a marginally greater phase advance been accepted that pupillary responsiveness follows scotopic
than 525 nm (P 0.039). sensitivity [25] which would result in greater pupillary
constriction of the shorter wavelengths in this study. More
Discussion recent evidence would also suggest less pupillary constriction
for equal luminance of longer wavelength light in the yellow
The present study compared the eectiveness of the ve to amber region than other wavelengths [26]. Therefore, if
dierent wavelengths of light and a no-light control pupillary constriction is greater for the shorter wavelengths
condition in phase advancing the melatonin rhythm. After in the present study, our results would suggest that direct
2 hr of light stimulation on two consecutive mornings, the retinal stimulation would show even greater circadian
blue LED with a peak at 470 nm wavelength phase responsiveness to shorter wavelength light.
advanced the melatonin onset by over 1 hr. Similarly, the For a nal concluding comment, the light source using
blue/green (497 nm) and green (525 nm) LEDs induced LEDs can eectively induce circadian re-timing. Its porta-
phase advances of almost 50 and 40 min, respectively. bility may have advantages over traditional light boxes for
These phase advances were signicantly greater than those treating a range of circadian rhythm disorders particularly
of the control, no-light condition, as well as the longer those in which a stationary light source requiring mains
wavelengths. power would be inconvenient or impossible. However, if
The present data, with no signicant phase advance from the LEDs are to be considered as a therapeutic device in
the long wavelengths of 595 and 660 nm (P > 0.40), were humans, their safety needs to be evaluated as it also needs
not consistent with the results of Zietzer and colleagues [18] to be for all bright light devices, most of which emit light
who found phase advances of the melatonin and core body over the whole visible spectrum [27].
temperature rhythms following morning exposure to red
light. However, their use of 15 hr (3 5 hr) of red light at
200 lux, administered close to the temperature minimum, Acknowledgments
may be of sucient intensity and length to induce a phase We thank Tam Varcoe and Annie Connelly for their
advance. As this group did not compare other wavelengths technical assistance with the melatonin assays. We are also
using the same protocol, they could not assess the dier- grateful to Leon Snigg and John Murphy for constructing
ential sensitivity of the circadian system to wavelength. the LED glasses.
Our results are consistent with the two studies which
showed increasing melatonin suppression with decreasing
wavelength [11, 12]. The results are also consistent with the References
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