scholarly journals Visual impairment and circadian rhythm disorders

2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-314 ◽  

Many aspects of human physiology and behavior are dominated by 24-hour circadian rhythms that have a major impact on our health and well-being, including the sleep-wake cycle, alertness and performance patterns, and many daily hormone profiles. These rhythms are spontaneously generated by an internal "pacemaker" in the hypothalamus, and daily light exposure to the eyes is required to keep these circadian rhythms synchronized both internally and with the external environment. Sighted individuals take this daily synchronization process for granted, although they experience some of the consequences of circadian desynchrony when "jetlagged" or working night shifts. Most blind people with no perception of light, however, experience continual circadian desynchrony through a failure of light information to reach the hypothalamic circadian clock, resulting in cyclical episodes of poor sleep and daytime dysfunction. Daily melatonin administration, which provides a replacement synchronizing daily "time cue, " is a promising therapeutic strategy, although optimal treatment dose and timing remain to be determined.

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stine Daugaard ◽  
Jakob Markvart ◽  
Jens Peter Bonde ◽  
Jens Christoffersen ◽  
Anne Helene Garde ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To assess light exposure during days with indoor, outdoor, and night work and days off work. Methods Light intensity was continuously recorded for 7 days across the year among indoor (n = 170), outdoor (n = 151), and night workers (n = 188) in Denmark (55–56°N) equipped with a personal light recorder. White light intensity, duration above 80, 1000, and 2500 lux, and proportion of red, green, and blue light was depicted by time of the day and season for work days and days off work. Results Indoor workers’ average light exposure only intermittently exceeded 1000 lux during daytime working hours in summer and never in winter. During daytime working hours, most outdoor workers exceeded 2500 lux in summer and 1000 lux in winter. Night workers spent on average 10–50 min >80 lux when working night shifts. During days off work, indoor and night workers were exposed to higher light intensities than during work days and few differences were seen between indoor, outdoor, and night workers. The spectral composition of light was similar for indoor, outdoor, and night workers during days at and off work. Conclusion The night workers of this study were during night hours on average exposed for a limited time to light intensities expected to suppress melatonin. The indoor workers were exposed to light levels during daylight hours that may reduce general well-being and mood, especially in winter. Outdoor workers were during summer daylight hours exposed to light levels comparable to those used for the treatment of depression.


2022 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Maria João Ferreira ◽  
Fernando Moreira ◽  
Isabel Seruca

Digitalization is changing business and organizations. In the organizational context, the potential that can be realized through digitalization is manifest, namely the expenditure reduction and higher innovative power. However, it is not enough to integrate digitalization; a change of culture and behavior is necessary. To this extent, social media relations have the potential to create communication capabilities that can be turned into useful resources, which in turn will result in more significant competitive advantage and performance. Taking advantage of social tools within social business contexts requires an exercise in how to demonstrate usefulness regarding the creation, access, and sharing of content securely. To this end, this chapter will provide a comprehensive view of a new context of labor (i.e., social business supported by mobile IST-m_CSDIT2) to improve the organizational well-being through the collective intelligence and agility dimensions.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren E. Thielke ◽  
Monique A. R. Udell

Although it is widely accepted that dogs and humans form attachment relationships, characterizing attachment styles in dogs has only recently received attention in the literature. Previous research has shown that pet dogs display patterns of behavior in an attachment test that can be classified into secure and insecure attachment styles, much like human children and their caretakers. However, we currently know relatively little about the role of attachment styles in relation to canine well-being. This question may be of particular interest for the 3.9 million dogs that enter animal shelters in the United States alone each year, as this transition marks the dissolution of prior bonds and the establishment of new attachment relationships. Herein, results are presented from analyses of volunteer-reported canine personality and behavior measures, as well as performance on two cognitive tasks as they relate to attachment styles developed within shelter and foster environments. Results from the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) indicated that foster dogs were scored as having significantly higher levels of attachment and attention-seeking behaviors when compared with shelter dogs. In both environments, dogs categorized as securely attached to a shelter or foster volunteer had lower neuroticism scores. Secure attachment in foster homes was also associated with improved persistence and performance on a point following task. These results provide support for the idea that attachment styles formed with temporary caregivers is associated with other behavioral and personality measures, and therefore may have implications for behavior and welfare in dogs living in foster homes and animal shelters.


2021 ◽  
pp. 56-61
Author(s):  
A. N. Puchkova ◽  
M. G. Poluektov

Insomnia is a widespread disorder affecting not only sleep quantity and quality, but also daytime well-being and performance, as well as having a negative impact on physical and mental health. Many people have problems falling asleep and maintaining sleep that do not reach the clinical criteria of insomnia. For all the prevalence of such sleep disorders, specialists often overlook a fundamentally important factor that affects sleep and wakefulness cycle, ease of falling asleep and daytime performance. These are circadian rhythms of the body under the control of the biological clock.This review highlights the specifics of the human biological clock and its relationship to insomnia and complaints of poor sleep. The phenomenon of the human chronotype as a set of individual preferences in sleep-wake rhythm is considered. Late chronotype, tat tends to wake up late and be active in the evening turns out to be the most vulnerable to the appearance of complaints of poor sleep and development of insomnia. This result is typical for different age groups. The reason for problems sleep for the late chronotype is the need to adjust to social demands and to fall asleep and wake up too early relative to the phase of one’s own circadian rhythm.Circadian rhythms may contribute to the formation and maintenance of insomnia. Both chronic and acute insomnia may have a chronobiological component that is not always considered. Late chronotype may be a factor further exacerbating the course of insomnia. The regularity of circadian rhythms may also be impaired in insomnia.The importance of the biological clock in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness also explains the successful approach to insomnia treatment with melatonin, which plays an important signaling role in the circadian regulation of the body.


Author(s):  
Timothy Brown ◽  
George Brainard ◽  
Christian Cajochen ◽  
Charles Czeisler ◽  
John Hanifin ◽  
...  

Ocular light exposure has important influences on human health and well-being through modulation of circadian rhythms and sleep, as well as neuroendocrine and cognitive functions. Current patterns of light exposure do not optimally engage these actions for many individuals, but advances in our understanding of the underpinning mechanisms and emerging lighting technologies now present opportunities to adjust lighting to promote optimal physical and mental health and performance. A newly developed, SI-compliant standard provides a way of quantifying the influence of light on the intrinsically photosensitive, melanopsin-expressing, retinal neurons that mediate these effects. The present report provides recommendations for lighting, based on an expert-scientific consensus and expressed according to this new measurement standard. These recommendations are supported by a comprehensive analysis of the sensitivity of human ‘non-visual’ responses to ocular light, are centred on an easily measured quantity (melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance), and provide a straightforward framework to inform lighting design and practice.


2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Akkermans ◽  
V. Brenninkmeijer ◽  
R. W. B. Blonk ◽  
L. L. J. Kopped
Keyword(s):  

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Ballard ◽  
Matthew J. Grawitch ◽  
Larissa K. Barber ◽  
Lois E. Tetrick

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 730-744
Author(s):  
V.I. Loktionov

Subject. The article reviews the way strategic threats to energy security influence the quality of people's life. Objectives. The study unfolds the theory of analyzing strategic threats to energy security by covering the matter of quality of people's life. Methods. To analyze the way strategic threats to energy security spread across cross-sectoral commodity and production chains and influences quality of people's living, I applied the factor analysis and general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis. Results. I suggest interpreting strategic threats to energy security as risks of people's quality of life due to a reduction in the volume of energy supply. I identified mechanisms reflecting how the fuel and energy complex and its development influence the quality of people's life. The article sets out the method to assess such quality-of-life risks arising from strategic threats to energy security. Conclusions and Relevance. In the current geopolitical situation, strategic threats to energy security cause long-standing adverse consequences for the quality of people's life. If strategic threats to energy security are further construed as risk of quality of people's life, this will facilitate the preparation and performance of a more effective governmental policy on energy, which will subsequently raise the economic well-being of people.


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