Dim Lighting Can Harm Memory and Learning Brain Health & Wellness
Dim Light Can Impede Memory and Learning
New research could lead to treatments that improve cognitive function in older people
Jetta Productions/Getty Images The findings eventually could lead to treatments that improve cognitive function for older people. You may want to buy brighter lights for your home after you read this. Michigan State University researchers have found that spending too much time in dimly lit rooms may actually change the brain’s structure and . In the study, recently published in the scientific journal Hippocampus, the scientists studied the brains of Nile grass rats, an animal that, like humans, stays awake during the day and sleeps at night. One group of rats lived in a dimly-lit environment — comparable to a cloudy Midwestern winter day — for four weeks, while another group was exposed to brighter light. The rats who spent time in dim light lost about 30 percent of their capacity in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays an important role in transferring information to the memory, and performed poorly in swimming a water maze, a spatial task that they previously had been trained to do. The rodents who spent time in bright light, in contrast, actually improved their performance. Dim light causes significant reductions in a chemical that helps maintain healthy connections between brain cells, Joel Soler, a doctoral candidate in psychology and the study’s lead author, said in a university news release. The good news is that changes may not be permanent. When the researchers gave the rats a break from the dim light for a month and then exposed them to bright light, their brains recovered and they regained their ability to do the task. The findings eventually could lead to treatments that for older people, whose eyes gradually become less responsive to light, and for those with eye diseases, according to the researchers. Also of Interest
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.