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Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology pp 972–981Cite as

Non-Visual Lighting Effects and Their Impact on Health and Well-Being

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Synonyms

Circadian rhythms; Circadian system

Definition

Biological, non-visual effects of lighting constitute a new field within lighting research and education. In addition to visual effects, light is known to affect other biological rhythms, most notably the circadian system, which generates and regulates a number of rhythms that run with a period close to 24 h. Light/dark patterns incident on the retina are the major synchronizer of circadian rhythms to the 24-h solar day. Lighting characteristics (quantity, spectrum, timing, duration, and distribution) affecting the visual and circadian systems differ. Symptoms of circadian sleep disorders, such as seasonal affective disorder, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase disorder, can be mitigated by timed light exposure.

Introduction

The neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of the human visual system is largely understood: vision is the result of complex interactions between light sources, objects and surfaces, the eye, and the brain. Lighting...

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge the projects’ sponsors (National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, and Office of Naval Research). Mark Rea, PhD, of the Lighting Research Center is acknowledged for his technical assistance, and Nicholas Hanford of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is acknowledged for his editorial assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lighting Research Center, 21, Union street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA

    Mariana Figueiro

Authors
  1. Mariana Figueiro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mariana Figueiro .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Modern, Optical Instrumentation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Ming Ronnier Luo

  2. School of Design, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Ming Ronnier Luo

  3. Graduate Institute of Colour and Illumination, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Ming Ronnier Luo

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Figueiro, M. (2016). Non-Visual Lighting Effects and Their Impact on Health and Well-Being. In: Luo, M.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8071-7_118

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