ArticlePain2010
Bright light activates a trigeminal nociceptive pathway.
Article in Pain, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 75 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
75 citing papers in PubMed, 165 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Dark Side of Light: Spectral Variation in Post-Traumatic Photosensitivity and Its Functional Sequelae.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Sexual dimorphism and photoperiodism in cognitive and neuronal ionic changes in scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment.Metabolic brain disease · 2026Article
- Topography of Photophobia: Perifoveal Sensitivity Associations in Glaucoma.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2026Article
- Age-Related Neurovascular Dysfunction in the Retina and Potential Pathogenic Mechanisms.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2026Review
- Mechanisms and clinical application of photobiomodulation in pain therapy: a mini review.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Light Therapy in Chronic Migraine.Current pain and headache reports · 2024Review
- Trigeminal Sensitization in a Closed Head Model for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.Journal of neurotrauma · 2024Article
- Equine Headshaking Syndrome: Triggers, Seasonality, and Treatment Efficacy in Australia.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Decoding pain through facial expressions: a study of patients with migraine.The journal of headache and pain · 2024Article
- FL-41 Tint Reduces Activation of Neural Pathways of Photophobia in Patients with Chronic Ocular Pain.American journal of ophthalmology · 2024Article
- Comparison of deep learning-assisted blinking analysis system and Lipiview interferometer in dry eye patients: a cross-sectional study.Eye and vision (London, England) · 2024Article
- Looking for a Beam of Light to Heal Chronic Pain.Journal of pain research · 2024Review
- Article
- Glia Signaling and Brain Microenvironment in Migraine.Molecular neurobiology · 2023Review
- Neuropeptide Y in the medial habenula alleviates migraine-like behaviors through the Y1 receptor.The journal of headache and pain · 2023Article
- Blue Light-Ocular and Systemic Damaging Effects: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Assessing Orofacial Pain Behaviors in Animal Models: A Review.Brain sciences · 2023Review
- Photophobia in headache disorders: characteristics and potential mechanisms.Journal of neurology · 2022Review
- Case report: Teflon granuloma following microvascular decompression manifesting as light-triggered trigeminal neuralgia.Frontiers in surgery · 2022Article
- The art of pain: A quantitative color analysis of the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Article
15 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Bright light can cause ocular discomfort and/or pain; however, the mechanism linking luminance to trigeminal nerve activity is not known. In this study we identify a novel reflex circuit necessary for bright light to excite nociceptive neurons in superficial laminae of trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc/C1). Vc/C1 neurons encoded light intensity and displayed a long delay (>10s) for activation. Microinjection of lidocaine into the eye or trigeminal root ganglion (TRG) inhibited light responses completely, whereas topical application onto the ocular surface had no effect. These findings indicated that light-evoked Vc/C1 activity was mediated by an intraocular mechanism and transmission through the TRG. Disrupting local vasomotor activity by intraocular microinjection of the vasoconstrictive agents, norepinephrine or phenylephrine, blocked light-evoked neural activity, whereas ocular surface or intra-TRG microinjection of norepinephrine had no effect. Pupillary muscle activity did not contribute since light-evoked responses were not altered by atropine. Microinjection of lidocaine into the superior salivatory nucleus diminished light-evoked Vc/C1 activity and lacrimation suggesting that increased parasympathetic outflow was critical for light-evoked responses. The reflex circuit also required input through accessory visual pathways since both Vc/C1 activity and lacrimation were prevented by local blockade of the olivary pretectal nucleus. These findings support the hypothesis that bright light activates trigeminal nerve activity through an intraocular mechanism driven by a luminance-responsive circuit and increased parasympathetic outflow to the eye.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.