Dim Nighttime Light Impairs Cognition and Provokes Depressive-Like Responses in a Diurnal Rodent

Aug 3, 2012Journal of biological rhythms

Dim night light reduces thinking ability and causes depression-like behavior in daytime-active rodents

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Abstract

Three weeks of exposure to dim light at night (dLAN) resulted in significant behavioral changes in Nile grass rats.

  • Rats exhibited decreased preference for a sucrose solution after exposure to dim light at night.
  • Latency to float in a forced swim test increased, indicating potential changes in stress responses.
  • Learning and memory were impaired in the Barnes maze following nighttime light exposure.
  • Dendritic length in the dentate gyrus and basilar CA1 was reduced, which may relate to the observed behavioral changes.
  • No disruption of circadian locomotor activity patterns was noted, as all rats maintained a diurnal activity rhythm.

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