Longer wavelengths in sunlight pass through the human body and have a systemic impact which improves vision

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Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

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Paper Summary

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Shining Light Through Your Chest? Small Study Suggests Infrared Might Boost Vision (But Don't Throw Away Your Glasses Yet)

In a small study, researchers found that infrared wavelengths in sunlight, and from an 850 nm LED panel, can penetrate the human body. These wavelengths appeared to improve color contrast sensitivity, a measure of visual function. However, the study's small sample size and the unclear real-world significance of the vision improvements limit the strength of these findings.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

One of the authors is affiliated with the Centre for Applied Vision Research, which could potentially benefit from the positive findings of the study related to vision improvement.

Identified Weaknesses

Limited clinical relevance of visual function improvements

The study heavily relies on visual function improvement as a primary outcome measure. While there are statistically significant changes observed in color contrast sensitivity, the clinical significance of these improvements is unclear. A 9% or 16% improvement in color contrast thresholds may not translate to a noticeable or meaningful difference in daily visual function for the participants.

Small sample sizes

The sample sizes for the different experiments are relatively small (N=7 for sunlight, N=13 for 850 nm light, N=5 for body-only exposure, and N=7 for control). Small sample sizes increase the risk of type II errors (false negatives) and limit the generalizability of the findings to larger populations.

Limited understanding of long-term effects and optimal dosage

The study uses a single, 15-minute exposure to 850 nm light. The long-term effects of this wavelength, as well as the optimal dosage and duration of exposure for maximizing visual benefits, remain unknown.

Limited understanding of underlying mechanisms

While the study demonstrates that 850 nm light can penetrate the body and potentially improve visual function, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this effect are not fully elucidated. The authors suggest a link to improved mitochondrial function, but more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis and explore the specific pathways involved.

Limited evaluation of safety and potential risks

The study does not adequately address the potential risks and side effects associated with exposure to 850 nm light. While infrared light is generally considered safe, more research is needed to determine the potential long-term effects of repeated or prolonged exposure.

Rating Explanation

The study has several major limitations including small sample sizes, a focus on surrogate outcomes (color contrast sensitivity) rather than real-world visual function, and a lack of long-term follow-up data. While the findings are intriguing, the methodological weaknesses and limited clinical relevance significantly reduce the study's overall scientific value.

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