From: Leanne 5/01/00 15:23:50 Subject: Another light question post id: 23789 Okay, today is my day for light-related questions. Somebody tells me that shining a torch strategically on the backs of the knees can help in coping with jet-lag, shift work, winter blues and other light-related problems. Why the knees? Are they particularly photosensitive or is it just a quirky thing to do on a long plane flight? :-) And how does this sort of strategy work? From: Leanne 5/01/00 15:53:11 Subject: re: Another light question post id: 23794 Well, it is a strange bit of urban myth told to me by a friend who swears it worked... but for all we know, the caffeine he drank at the same time worked better! I have heard though, that white light shone at intervals has been used to perk up shift workers. Can't find any references to this practise though, I wondered if it was perhaps another piece of urban myth/dodgy science :-) From: James Richmond (Avatar) 5/01/00 17:17:07 Subject: re: Another light question post id: 23822 I don't think this is an urban myth. There was a legitimate scientific paper claiming this effect. I don't think many people take the idea very seriously any more, though. JR From: James Richmond (Avatar) 6/01/00 12:39:11 Subject: re: Another light question post id: 23988 The study was published in January 1998 in Science. Scott Campbell and Patricia Murphy of Cornell University Medical College apparently found that the human circadian clock could be manipulated by shining bright light on an area behind the knees (the popliteal region). I don't think these results have been duplicated by other researchers. The more common view is that the circadian clock can only be accessed via the hypothalamus, either by shining light into the eyes or administering melatonin, which also plays a large role in synchronising the clock. For more information on how best to avoid jet lag, take a look href="http://www.nmjc.org/aoard/jetlag.html" here. JR From: michael c 6/01/00 12:57:49 Subject: re: Another light question post id: 23992 Just one thing to add to that.....from memory, the effectiveness of taking melatonin for jet lag (and the other things it is claimed to be useful for) is a controversial topic, so I wouldn't advise using it without consulting a doctor or at least doing some research in reputable journals. Michael C J This forum is un-moderated. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual poster and not the ABC. The ABC reserves the right to remove offensive or inappropriate messages.