Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Constant light disrupts the developing mouse biological clock.

Hidenobu Ohta1, Amanda C Mitchell, Douglas G McMahon

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.

Pediatric Research
|July 22, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Identification of photoperiod as a regulator of dopamine-mediated behavior in female mice.

Neurobiology of sleep and circadian rhythms·2025
Same author

Continuous cell-type diversification in mouse visual cortex development.

Nature·2025
Same author

Sleep variability and learning outcomes in preterm and full-term children: An observational study.

Early human development·2025
Same author

Effects of DNA methylation inhibitors on light-induced circadian clock plasticity.

Neurobiology of sleep and circadian rhythms·2025
Same author

Moderating role of alcohol tolerance in the association between excessive drinking and psychological distress: a cross-sectional study among agricultural workers in Japan.

BMC public health·2025
Same author

Mononuclear Fe(III) Schiff base antipyrine complexes for catalytic hydrogen generation.

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)·2024
Same journal

Beyond recognition: advancing early prediction of pediatric sepsis.

Pediatric research·2026
Same journal

Co-exposure to cannabinoids and nicotine increases senescence in prenatal human lung development.

Pediatric research·2026
Same journal

Developmental outcomes in infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pediatric research·2026
Same journal

Choice, confounding, and consequence: twenty years of empiric antibiotics for neonatal early-onset sepsis.

Pediatric research·2026
Same journal

Comparing in-person and online recruitment methods in a prospective pediatric cohort study.

Pediatric research·2026
Same journal

Craniosynostosis and neurodevelopment: reframing a surgical condition as a global developmental risk.

Pediatric research·2026
See all related articles

Constant light disrupts infant circadian clocks. Cyclic lighting is crucial for developing biological clocks, suggesting it

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Developmental biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • The mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) acts as the central biological clock, regulating daily physiological and behavioral rhythms.
  • Infant circadian clock development is sensitive to light, raising concerns about artificial lighting in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
  • Millions of low-birth-weight infants are annually exposed to constant artificial light in hospital nurseries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the disruptive effects of constant light (LL) on the developing biological clock in a mouse model.
  • To determine if cyclic lighting conditions are necessary for proper circadian clock organization during development.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a circadian reporter transgenic mouse model for real-time gene expression imaging of the SCN.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Exposed developing mice to constant light (LL) conditions.
  • Compared circadian clock organization under LL versus cyclic lighting conditions.

    • Main Results:

    • Constant light (LL) exposure demonstrated both acute and long-term disruptive effects on the developing biological clock.
    • Cyclic lighting conditions were found to be critical for coordinating molecular circadian mechanisms during development.
    • LL exposure impaired the proper organization of the central biological clock.

    Conclusions:

    • Constant light exposure negatively impacts the development and organization of the mammalian circadian clock.
    • Cyclic lighting is essential for the proper maturation of circadian mechanisms in developing organisms.
    • Cyclic light conditions in NICUs are likely optimal for supporting healthy circadian development in human infants.