Aberrant light directly impairs mood and learning through melanopsin-expressing neurons

Mice exposed to an aberrant light cycle show increased depression-like behaviors and impaired learning despite normal sleep patterns.

• Daily corticosterone levels remain rhythmic but are elevated in mice under an aberrant light cycle.
• The aberrant light cycle leads to increased depression-like behaviors and cognitive impairments, specifically in learning and memory.
• Administration of the antidepressants fluoxetine or desipramine restores learning abilities in mice affected by the aberrant light exposure.
• The impairment in mood and learning is linked to the functioning of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, as evidenced by unaffected behavior in mice lacking these cells.
• Conventional retinal ganglion cells can detect light for image formation but do not mediate the mood and cognitive effects observed.

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