Brainard George C, Hanifin John P
Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
J Biol Rhythms. 2005 Aug;20(4):314-25. doi: 10.1177/0748730405278951.
Light profoundly impacts human consciousness through the stimulation of the visual system and powerfully regulates the human circadian system, which, in turn, has a broad regulatory impact on virtually all tissues in the body. For more than 25 years, the techniques of action spectroscopy have yielded insights into the wavelength sensitivity of circadian input in humans and other mammalian species. The seminal discovery of melanopsin, the photopigment in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, has provided a significant turning point for understanding human circadian phototransduction. Action spectra in humans show that the peak wavelength sensitivity for this newly discovered sensory system is within the blue portion of the spectrum. This is fundamentally different from the three-cone photopic visual system, as well as the individual rod and cone photoreceptor peaks. Studies on rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans indicate that despite having a different wavelength fingerprint, these classic visual photoreceptors still provide an element of input to the circadian system. These findings open the door to innovations in light therapy for circadian and affective disorders, as well as possible architectural light applications.
光线通过刺激视觉系统深刻影响人类意识，并有力地调节人体昼夜节律系统，而该系统又对体内几乎所有组织产生广泛的调节作用。25 多年来，行动光谱技术让我们深入了解了人类和其他哺乳动物物种昼夜节律输入的波长敏感性。对内在光敏性视网膜神经节细胞中的光色素——黑视蛋白的开创性发现，为理解人类昼夜节律光转导提供了一个重要转折点。人类的行动光谱表明，这个新发现的感觉系统的峰值波长敏感性在光谱的蓝光部分范围内。这与三锥明视觉系统以及单个视杆和视锥光感受器的峰值有根本不同。对啮齿动物、非人类灵长类动物和人类的研究表明，尽管这些经典视觉光感受器具有不同的波长特征，但它们仍然为昼夜节律系统提供了一部分输入。这些发现为昼夜节律和情感障碍的光疗创新以及可能的建筑光应用打开了大门。
