Dr. Manuel Spitschan
PhD, Psychologist
Publications
2022
Blume, C.; Niedernhuber, M.; Spitschan, M.; Slawik, H. C.; Meyer, M. P.; Bekinschtein, T. A.; Cajochen, C.
Melatonin suppression does not automatically alter sleepiness, vigilance, sensory processing, or sleep Journal Article
In: SLEEP, 2022.
@article{Blume2022,
title = {Melatonin suppression does not automatically alter sleepiness, vigilance, sensory processing, or sleep},
author = {C. Blume and M. Niedernhuber and M. Spitschan and H. C. Slawik and M. P. Meyer and T. A. Bekinschtein and C. Cajochen},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsac199},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-23},
journal = {SLEEP},
abstract = {Pre-sleep exposure to short-wavelength light suppresses melatonin and decreases sleepiness with activating effects extending to sleep. This has mainly been attributed to melanopic effects, but mechanistic insights are missing. Thus, we investigated whether two light conditions only differing in the melanopic effects (123 vs. 59 lux melanopic EDI) differentially affect sleep besides melatonin. Additionally, we studied whether the light differentially modulates sensory processing during wakefulness and sleep.
Twenty-nine healthy volunteers (18-30 years, 15 women) were exposed to two metameric light conditions (high- vs. low-melanopic, ≈60 photopic lux) for 1 hour ending 50 min prior to habitual bed time. This was followed by an 8-h sleep opportunity with polysomnography. Objective sleep measurements were complemented by self-report. Salivary melatonin, subjective sleepiness, and behavioural vigilance were sampled at regular intervals. Sensory processing was evaluated during light exposure and sleep on the basis of neural responses related to violations of expectations in an oddball paradigm.
We observed suppression of melatonin by ≈14 % in the high- compared to the low-melanopic condition. However, conditions did not differentially affect sleep, sleep quality, sleepiness, or vigilance. A neural mismatch response was evident during all sleep stages, but not differentially modulated by light. Suppression of melatonin by light targeting the melanopic system does not automatically translate to acutely altered levels of vigilance or sleepiness or to changes in sleep, sleep quality, or basic sensory processing. Given contradicting earlier findings and the retinal anatomy, this may suggest that an interaction between melanopsin and cone-rod signals needs to be considered.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Pre-sleep exposure to short-wavelength light suppresses melatonin and decreases sleepiness with activating effects extending to sleep. This has mainly been attributed to melanopic effects, but mechanistic insights are missing. Thus, we investigated whether two light conditions only differing in the melanopic effects (123 vs. 59 lux melanopic EDI) differentially affect sleep besides melatonin. Additionally, we studied whether the light differentially modulates sensory processing during wakefulness and sleep.
Twenty-nine healthy volunteers (18-30 years, 15 women) were exposed to two metameric light conditions (high- vs. low-melanopic, ≈60 photopic lux) for 1 hour ending 50 min prior to habitual bed time. This was followed by an 8-h sleep opportunity with polysomnography. Objective sleep measurements were complemented by self-report. Salivary melatonin, subjective sleepiness, and behavioural vigilance were sampled at regular intervals. Sensory processing was evaluated during light exposure and sleep on the basis of neural responses related to violations of expectations in an oddball paradigm.
We observed suppression of melatonin by ≈14 % in the high- compared to the low-melanopic condition. However, conditions did not differentially affect sleep, sleep quality, sleepiness, or vigilance. A neural mismatch response was evident during all sleep stages, but not differentially modulated by light. Suppression of melatonin by light targeting the melanopic system does not automatically translate to acutely altered levels of vigilance or sleepiness or to changes in sleep, sleep quality, or basic sensory processing. Given contradicting earlier findings and the retinal anatomy, this may suggest that an interaction between melanopsin and cone-rod signals needs to be considered.
Twenty-nine healthy volunteers (18-30 years, 15 women) were exposed to two metameric light conditions (high- vs. low-melanopic, ≈60 photopic lux) for 1 hour ending 50 min prior to habitual bed time. This was followed by an 8-h sleep opportunity with polysomnography. Objective sleep measurements were complemented by self-report. Salivary melatonin, subjective sleepiness, and behavioural vigilance were sampled at regular intervals. Sensory processing was evaluated during light exposure and sleep on the basis of neural responses related to violations of expectations in an oddball paradigm.
We observed suppression of melatonin by ≈14 % in the high- compared to the low-melanopic condition. However, conditions did not differentially affect sleep, sleep quality, sleepiness, or vigilance. A neural mismatch response was evident during all sleep stages, but not differentially modulated by light. Suppression of melatonin by light targeting the melanopic system does not automatically translate to acutely altered levels of vigilance or sleepiness or to changes in sleep, sleep quality, or basic sensory processing. Given contradicting earlier findings and the retinal anatomy, this may suggest that an interaction between melanopsin and cone-rod signals needs to be considered.
2021
Spitschan, M.; Garbazza, C.; Kohl, S.; Cajochen, C.
Sleep and circadian phenotype in people without cone-mediated vision: a case series of five CNGB3 and two CNGA3 patients Journal Article
In: Brain Communications, 2021.
@article{Spitschan2021,
title = {Sleep and circadian phenotype in people without cone-mediated vision: a case series of five CNGB3 and two CNGA3 patients},
author = {M. Spitschan and C. Garbazza and S. Kohl and C. Cajochen},
url = {http://www.chronobiology.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/fcab159.pdf},
doi = {10.1093/braincomms/fcab159},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-07-18},
journal = {Brain Communications},
abstract = {Light exposure entrains the circadian clock through the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which sense light in addition to the cone and rod photoreceptors. In congenital achromatopsia (prevalence 1:30–50 000), the cone system is non-functional, resulting in severe light avoidance and photophobia at daytime light levels. How this condition affects circadian and neuroendocrine responses to light is not known. In this case series of genetically confirmed congenital achromatopsia patients (n = 7; age 30–72 years; 6 women, 1 male), we examined survey-assessed sleep/circadian phenotype, self-reported visual function, sensitivity to light and use of spectral filters that modify chronic light exposure. In all but one patient, we measured rest-activity cycles using actigraphy over 3 weeks and measured the melatonin phase angle of entrainment using the dim-light melatonin onset. Owing to their light sensitivity, congenital achromatopsia patients used filters to reduce retinal illumination. Thus, congenital achromatopsia patients experienced severely attenuated light exposure. In aggregate, we found a tendency to a late chronotype. We found regular rest-activity patterns in all patients and normal phase angles of entrainment in participants with a measurable dim-light melatonin onset. Our results reveal that a functional cone system and exposure to daytime light intensities are not necessary for regular behavioural and hormonal entrainment, even when survey-assessed sleep and circadian phenotype indicated a tendency for a late chronotype and sleep problems in our congenital achromatopsia cohort.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Light exposure entrains the circadian clock through the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which sense light in addition to the cone and rod photoreceptors. In congenital achromatopsia (prevalence 1:30–50 000), the cone system is non-functional, resulting in severe light avoidance and photophobia at daytime light levels. How this condition affects circadian and neuroendocrine responses to light is not known. In this case series of genetically confirmed congenital achromatopsia patients (n = 7; age 30–72 years; 6 women, 1 male), we examined survey-assessed sleep/circadian phenotype, self-reported visual function, sensitivity to light and use of spectral filters that modify chronic light exposure. In all but one patient, we measured rest-activity cycles using actigraphy over 3 weeks and measured the melatonin phase angle of entrainment using the dim-light melatonin onset. Owing to their light sensitivity, congenital achromatopsia patients used filters to reduce retinal illumination. Thus, congenital achromatopsia patients experienced severely attenuated light exposure. In aggregate, we found a tendency to a late chronotype. We found regular rest-activity patterns in all patients and normal phase angles of entrainment in participants with a measurable dim-light melatonin onset. Our results reveal that a functional cone system and exposure to daytime light intensities are not necessary for regular behavioural and hormonal entrainment, even when survey-assessed sleep and circadian phenotype indicated a tendency for a late chronotype and sleep problems in our congenital achromatopsia cohort.
2020
Spitschan, M.; Schmidt, Marlene H.; Blume, C.
Transparency and open science principles in reporting guidelines in sleep research and chronobiology journals Journal Article
In: Wellcome Open Research, 2020.
@article{Spitschan2020,
title = {Transparency and open science principles in reporting guidelines in sleep research and chronobiology journals},
author = {M. Spitschan and Marlene H. Schmidt and C. Blume},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16111.1},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-07-20},
journal = {Wellcome Open Research},
abstract = {Background: "Open science" is an umbrella term describing various aspects of transparent and open science practices. The adoption of practices at different levels of the scientific process (e.g., individual researchers, laboratories, institutions) has been rapidly changing the scientific research landscape in the past years, but their uptake differs from discipline to discipline. Here, we asked to what extent journals in the field of sleep research and chronobiology encourage or even require following transparent and open science principles in their author guidelines.
Methods: We scored the author guidelines of a comprehensive set of 28 sleep and chronobiology journals, including the major outlets in the field, using the standardised Transparency and Openness (TOP) Factor. This instrument rates the extent to which journals encourage or require following various aspects of open science, including data citation, data transparency, analysis code transparency, materials transparency, design and analysis guidelines, study pre-registration, analysis plan pre-registration, replication, registered reports, and the use of open science badges.
Results: Across the 28 journals, we find low values on the TOP Factor (median [25th, 75th percentile] 2.5 [1, 3], min. 0, max. 9, out of a total possible score of 28) in sleep research and chronobiology journals.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest an opportunity for sleep research and chronobiology journals to further support the recent developments in transparent and open science by implementing transparency and openness principles in their guidelines and making adherence to them mandatory.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background: "Open science" is an umbrella term describing various aspects of transparent and open science practices. The adoption of practices at different levels of the scientific process (e.g., individual researchers, laboratories, institutions) has been rapidly changing the scientific research landscape in the past years, but their uptake differs from discipline to discipline. Here, we asked to what extent journals in the field of sleep research and chronobiology encourage or even require following transparent and open science principles in their author guidelines.
Methods: We scored the author guidelines of a comprehensive set of 28 sleep and chronobiology journals, including the major outlets in the field, using the standardised Transparency and Openness (TOP) Factor. This instrument rates the extent to which journals encourage or require following various aspects of open science, including data citation, data transparency, analysis code transparency, materials transparency, design and analysis guidelines, study pre-registration, analysis plan pre-registration, replication, registered reports, and the use of open science badges.
Results: Across the 28 journals, we find low values on the TOP Factor (median [25th, 75th percentile] 2.5 [1, 3], min. 0, max. 9, out of a total possible score of 28) in sleep research and chronobiology journals.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest an opportunity for sleep research and chronobiology journals to further support the recent developments in transparent and open science by implementing transparency and openness principles in their guidelines and making adherence to them mandatory.
Methods: We scored the author guidelines of a comprehensive set of 28 sleep and chronobiology journals, including the major outlets in the field, using the standardised Transparency and Openness (TOP) Factor. This instrument rates the extent to which journals encourage or require following various aspects of open science, including data citation, data transparency, analysis code transparency, materials transparency, design and analysis guidelines, study pre-registration, analysis plan pre-registration, replication, registered reports, and the use of open science badges.
Results: Across the 28 journals, we find low values on the TOP Factor (median [25th, 75th percentile] 2.5 [1, 3], min. 0, max. 9, out of a total possible score of 28) in sleep research and chronobiology journals.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest an opportunity for sleep research and chronobiology journals to further support the recent developments in transparent and open science by implementing transparency and openness principles in their guidelines and making adherence to them mandatory.
2019
Spitschan, M.; Lazar, R.; Yetik, E.; Cajochen, C.
No evidence for an S cone contribution to acute neuroendocrine and alerting responses to light Journal Article
In: Current Biology, 2019.
@article{Spitschan2019d,
title = {No evidence for an S cone contribution to acute neuroendocrine and alerting responses to light},
author = {M. Spitschan and R. Lazar and E. Yetik and C. Cajochen },
url = {https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31501-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219315015%3Fshowall%3Dtrue},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.031},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-12-16},
journal = {Current Biology},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Spitschan, M.; Lazar, R.; Cajochen, C.
Visual and non-visual properties of filters manipulating short-wavelength light Journal Article
In: Ophthalmic Physiol Opt, 2019.
@article{Spitschan2019f,
title = {Visual and non-visual properties of filters manipulating short-wavelength light},
author = {M. Spitschan and R. Lazar and C. Cajochen},
url = {http://www.chronobiology.ch/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Spitschan_et_al-2019-Ophthalmic_and_Physiological_Optics-1.pdf},
doi = {10.1111/opo.12648},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-01},
journal = {Ophthalmic Physiol Opt},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}