Nighttime Light Exposure Impacts Mood in Tree Shrews Through Key Brain Pathway

Rapid Summary

• A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Volume 122,Issue 23,June 2025) explores the effects of long-term light at night (LAN) exposure.
• Research has shown that LAN exposure poses health risks to nocturnal lab animals.
• It remains unclear whether diurnal animals, those active during the day like humans, experience similar negative effects or how these impacts occur.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The findings highlight a potentially significant but underexplored area of health research regarding light pollution and its impact on organisms beyond nocturnal species. Given IndiaS rapidly urbanizing landscape and growing levels of artificial lighting in cities and rural areas alike, understanding LAN’s long-term implications could be crucial for public health conversations. While no direct evidence links human diurnal patterns to damages observed in nocturnal species yet, this study stresses the need for further examination into circadian rhythms affected by modern lifestyles throughout all animal groups.Read More