Daylight Does Something to The Brain, And a New Study May Explain The Mystery

Seasonal changes in the amount of daylight we get can have an impact on us. Scientists have been able to see the effects on the level of brain cells.

In a new study on mice, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the brain's 24 hour time tracker tucked inside the hypothalamus, was observed coordinating with each other to adapt to different lengths of daylight.

The mix and the expression of neurotransmitters were altered by the amount of light.

The brain region inside the hypothalamus helps manage stress, metabolism, the immune system and more and can be affected by shifts in the SCN.

Researchers have found a correlation between daylight and behavior.

"We showed novel changes to the network in response to the length of the day."

The brain's timekeeping mechanisms are in charge of the physical, mental, and behavioral rhythms of the day. Information about available light and the length of each day can be passed on by the SCN.

What's unclear is how the small group of 20,000 or so neurons in the SCN respond to the data that's coming in. It could be useful to know more about this and how light can be used to treat health problems.

The researchers were able to change the neurotransmitters in the mice in order to alter the network activity.

We are getting closer to being able to manage our reactions to daylight.

Davide Dulcis from the University of California San Diego says that the most impressive new finding in the study is that they were able to induce dopamine expression in the hypothal brain network.

Although there are similarities between the mouse brain and the human brain, it remains to be seen if the same thing happens in humans.

The findings could lead to new ways of treating neural disorders using light therapy. As the seasons change, the team suggests that the mechanism they've discovered might affect our memory of how much daylight we get.

The study is an example of how scientists can use discoveries that have already been made. The next step will be to see if the same mechanisms are working in the human brain.

The link between the seasonal changes in mood and the effects of light therapy is thought to be caused by the multi-synaptic neurotransmitter switch.

The research was published in a journal.