Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes
Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomot...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2014.00184/full |
| _version_ | 1819052825834946560 |
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| author | Mikko Paavo Tulppo Heidi eJurvelin Eka eRoivainen Juuso eNissilä Arto J Hautala Antti M Kiviniemi Vesa J Kiviniemi Timo eTakala |
| author_facet | Mikko Paavo Tulppo Heidi eJurvelin Eka eRoivainen Juuso eNissilä Arto J Hautala Antti M Kiviniemi Vesa J Kiviniemi Timo eTakala |
| author_sort | Mikko Paavo Tulppo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8–12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed. Results: Time x group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group. Conclusion: Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:26:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e064aca8020046ff9c802c21d0c8dee5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:26:00Z |
| publishDate | 2014-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e064aca8020046ff9c802c21d0c8dee52022-12-21T19:04:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2014-05-01510.3389/fphys.2014.0018487232Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in AthletesMikko Paavo Tulppo0Heidi eJurvelin1Eka eRoivainen2Juuso eNissilä3Arto J Hautala4Antti M Kiviniemi5Vesa J Kiviniemi6Timo eTakala7VerveUniversity of OuluVerveUniversity of OuluVerveVerveUniversity of OuluOulu Deaconess InstitutePurpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8–12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed. Results: Time x group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group. Conclusion: Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2014.00184/fullCognitionseasonal darknessmotor speedice-hockeyTranscranial treatment |
| spellingShingle | Mikko Paavo Tulppo Heidi eJurvelin Eka eRoivainen Juuso eNissilä Arto J Hautala Antti M Kiviniemi Vesa J Kiviniemi Timo eTakala Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes Frontiers in Physiology Cognition seasonal darkness motor speed ice-hockey Transcranial treatment |
| title | Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes |
| title_full | Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes |
| title_short | Effects of Bright Light Treatment on Psychomotor Speed in Athletes |
| title_sort | effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes |
| topic | Cognition seasonal darkness motor speed ice-hockey Transcranial treatment |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2014.00184/full |
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