The influence of light exposure and chronotype on working memory in humans

Here we examine how exposure to blue (peaking at λ=470 nm), green λ=505 nm) and red λ=630 light affects subsequent working memory performance measured with visual N-back tasks associated functional brain responses in participants extreme morning evening chronotype. We used within-subjects experimental manipulation on carefully selected samples state of the art equipment for exposure. The results show no differences between morning-type evening-type individuals task performance. also did not replicate alerting effect wavelength light, supposedly enhancing cognitive tasks. However, found higher activity hours comparison chronotype several frontal areas precentral gyrus, middle superior gyri occipital gyrus. This may indicate increased strategic or attentional recruitment prefrontal areas, implicated compensating load type.