UCLA

A circadian rhythm is an endogenous oscillator with a period close to 24 hours that drives and regulates processes in the body. As light is known to be the strongest entrainment cue for circadian rhythms, the increasing use of artificial lighting in modern society raises concern over the negative impact of nighttime light pollution for both animal and human health. In the first study, the impact of artificial light intensity and temperature on nocturnal rodents was explored. We found that spectral control may mitigate some of the negative effects of nighttime light pollution poses on wildlife and we illustrate a need to account for light spectrum in circadian behavioral studies. In the second study, we utilized an ultradian LD cycle to determine the direct influence of aberrant light on autistic behavior in the Cntnap2 mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Our findings show that light exposure during the night without a circadian disruption does not elicit a worsening of the autistic phenotype.