Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg - University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
Stress. 2021 Jan;24(1):29-35. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1741543. Epub 2020 Apr 6.
It is assumed that the production of cortisol is modulated by light exposure. While initial evidence supports this principal effect, the specific effect of light (intensity and wavelength) onto the cortisol stress response is still not completely understood. One between-subject experiment was conducted in a standardized sleep laboratory setting to investigate the effect of light intensity (dim white vs. bright white light) and spectral composition (red vs. blue) on the cortisol response after the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST). 112 healthy young males (24.83 ± 4.10 years of age) were randomly assigned to one of the four light conditions. Across conditions, light exposure was conducted for one-hour post-awakening and the light effect was measured based on eight saliva samples. The analysis indicates significant main effects for time and light condition as well as a significant interaction effect. Notably, bright light exposure evoked the highest cortisol levels when compared to dim white, red, and blue light. Our findings illustrate the crucial role of light intensity and wavelength for the cortisol stress response, in line with current theoretical knowledge of underlying neurobiological mechanisms. LAY SUMMARY Effects of different light sources were tested on healthy male adults in the morning after a stress test. Their stress responses showed that a bright light exposure increased the stress hormone level greatest compared to dim white, red or blue light sources. Findings point toward the crucial role of light intensity associated with the hormonal stress response.
据推测，皮质醇的产生受光照调节。虽然最初的证据支持这一主要效应，但光照（强度和波长）对皮质醇应激反应的具体影响仍不完全清楚。在标准化睡眠实验室环境中进行了一项个体间实验，以调查光强度（暗淡的白光与明亮的白光）和光谱组成（红与蓝）对马斯特里赫特急性应激测试（MAST）后皮质醇反应的影响。112 名健康年轻男性（24.83±4.10 岁）被随机分配到四个光照条件之一。在所有条件下，光照在觉醒后进行一个小时，并且根据八个唾液样本测量光的效果。分析表明时间和光照条件有显著的主效应，以及显著的交互作用。值得注意的是，与暗淡的白光、红光和蓝光相比，明亮的光照射会引起最高的皮质醇水平。我们的研究结果说明了光强度和波长对皮质醇应激反应的关键作用，与潜在神经生物学机制的现有理论知识一致。
