Video

Workplace Wellness Can Help Reduce the Risk for Heart Problems

Some Parents May Hasten Death for Terminally Ill Children

Fitness Academics

Secondhand Smoke Increases Risk for Heart Disease in Kids

Toddlers Don't Learn Vocabulary From TV

Despite Worries, Most Parents Vaccinate Their Kids Anyway

Food Allergies Can Be Treated With the Allergen Foods

Signs of Heart Disease Could Be As Early as 3 in Obese Kids

The Number of Women Having Strokes is Rising

Preventative Mastectomy

Cases of Gestational Diabetes Are On the Rise

Nintendo Wii Could Be Therapy for Stroke Victims

Single Men Have An Increased Risk for Stroke

Fatty Foods Could Lead to Stroke in Older Women

Woman Gives Birth After Ovary Transplant

Constant Light Linked to Symptoms of Depression

Posted on 10/23/2009, 09:00
By -- Robert Preidt

Unnatural light cycles could have health consequences, study finds

FRIDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to too much light at night may cause depression, suggests a new study.

Ohio State University researchers found that mice kept in a lighted room 24 hours a day had more depressive symptoms than mice that had a normal day-night cycle. The study also found that mice that lived in a constantly lit room, but could take refuge in a dark tube when they desired, had fewer depressive symptoms than mice that couldn't get away from the 24-hour light.

"The ability to escape light seemed to quell the depressive effects," lead author Laura Fonken, a graduate student in psychology, said in a news release from Ohio State University.

The findings indicate the need to learn more about how artificial light affects humans, said study co-author Randy Nelson, a professor of neuroscience and psychology.

"Constant light with no chance of escape increased depressive symptoms," Nelson said in the news release. "The increasing rate of depressive disorders in humans corresponds with the increasing use of light at night in modern society. Many people are now exposed to unnatural light cycles, and that may have real consequences for our health," he added.

The study, presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience held Oct. 17 to 21 in Chicago, is scheduled to be published in the Dec. 28 issue of the journal Behavioural Brain Research.

Research into the effects of artificial light on health "is important for people who work night shifts, and for children and others who watch TV late into the night, disrupting their usual light-dark cycle," Fonken said.

Nelson noted that hospital intensive care units are brightly lit throughout the night, which may have a negative effect on patients.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about lack of sleep and chronic disease.

SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, Oct. 21, 2009

More news in Headache...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.

Rating: 2.6 / 5 (33 votes)