Bright Lights?
A new study shows that light therapy is beneficial to everyone, not just individuals who suffer from seasonal depression. When bright light therapy is administered through the ear canal directly to the photosensitive brain tissue, it improved cognitive performance and mood in all subjects. Students who received a daily, 12 minute bright light treatment through the ear canal for 3 weeks improved their reaction time by 25-30%. When channeled directly to the brain, bright light significantly increases activity in the neural networks, especially in regions of the brain linked to visual perception.
Scandinavian Physiological Society, September 2012