Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42077500›Full record

ArticleF1000Research2025

Sneezing in response to naturalistic bright light exposure.

Lucien Bickerstaff, Josef Trinkl, Stephan Munkwitz, Manuel Spitschan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in F1000Research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lucien BickerstaffTechnical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2683-8130
Josef TrinklMax Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.
Stephan MunkwitzMax Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9559-5566
Manuel SpitschanTechnical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8572-9268

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The photic sneeze reflex (PSR) is a common but underexplored phenomenon where bright light triggers sneezing, affecting ~30% of the population. This study aimed to characterise the light conditions inducing PSR. Methods: One male PSR-affected participant logged sneezing events during a 30-day real-world light exposure study. An indoor setup using a multi-primary LED source and an integrating sphere delivered 30-second light stimuli while pupillometric data were collected. Results: A total of 82 sneezing events were recorded, averaging 2.73 sneezes/day (range: 1-6 per event). Illuminance increased tenfold before sneezing, peaking 2 minutes prior, and returned to baseline within 10 minutes. Despite exposure to 150+ stimuli, artificial sneezing was not induced, though high illuminance consistently triggered tickling sensations. Conclusions: Sudden increases in environmental lighting can provoke PSR. While artificial stimuli elicited only tickling, further refinement of the protocol could enable reliable PSR induction, thereby facilitating mechanistic research.

Indexed as

LightSneezingHumansLightingMalePhotic StimulationReflexbright light exposureenvironmental lightingilluminanceintegrating spherelhotic sneeze reflexlight-induced sneezinglight-triggered sensationsmulti-primary LEDnonvisual light effectspupillometryreal-world light loggingreflex sensitivityreflex thresholdsneezing reflexvisual stimuli

Identifiers

PMID42077500
PMCPMC13133618

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.