ENLIGHT Consensus Checklist and Guidelines for reporting laboratory studies on the non-visual effects of light in humans

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract

Abstract Beyond vision, light has wide-reaching effects on human health and well-being. However, there is no consensus on reporting light characteristics in studies investigating non-visual responses to light. This project aimed at developing a reporting checklist for laboratory-based investigations on the impact of light on non-visual physiology. To this end, a four-step modified Delphi process (three questionnaire-based feedback rounds and one face-to-face group discussion) involving international experts was conducted. Across these four rounds, an initial list of 61 items related to reporting light-based interventions was condensed to a final checklist containing 25 items, based upon consensus among experts (final n=60). Nine of these items were determined to be necessary to report regardless of the specific research question or context. A description of each item was provided in the accompanying guidelines. Most participants (92%) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the consensus process, checklist, and guidelines. The ENLIGHT Checklist and Guidelines are the first consensus-based guidelines for documenting and reporting ocular light-based interventions for human studies. The implementation of the checklist and guidelines will enhance the impact of light-based research by ensuring comprehensive documentation and reproducibility and enabling data aggregation across studies.

Authors 5

1. Manuel Spitschan corresponding

   Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics · Technical University of Munich

   Affiliation as printed

   Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Research Group Translational Sensory & Circadian Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany

   TUM Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS), Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany

   TUM School of Medicine & Health, Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

2. Laura Kervezee corresponding Aachen Laboratory for Neurophysiology Department of Cellular and Chemical Biology

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory for Neurophysiology, Department of Cellular and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

3. Renske Lok corresponding

   Stanford University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA

4. Elise M. McGlashan corresponding

   Monash University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Psychological Science and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

5. Raymond P. Najjar corresponding

   National University of Singapore · Singapore Eye Research Institute · Duke-NUS Medical School

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Innovation & Precision Eye Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

   Department of Ophthalmology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

   Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore

   Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore