Lightboxes and blindness

[kestrell]

I started wondering about this last winter and could find no information whatsoever, so I'm posting to LJ/DW in hopes of mining the group intelligence. Considering the lack of info, *knowledgeable* guesses are welcome.

Can lightboxes benefit blind people? Specifically, someone like me, with prosthetic eyes and thus zero light perception?

I realize that the emphasis is always on light being perceived through the eyes but, as light is also absorbed through the skin, I am wondering if this could also have a beneficial effect. Is this idea absolutely ridiculous, or is it just that no one has bothered doing a study with blind people? Should I just go ahead and conduct my own experiment? (Okay, I'm pretty certain that the mad scientists are all for doing my own experiments.)

Comments

[capri0mni]

Well, I know from an evolutionary perspective (thanks to the wonder that is Bill Nye the Science Guy) that the reason humans lost pigmentation in the skin as they moved into latitudes away from the equator is that vitamin D is produced when the skin is exposed to sunlight, not the eyes.

And I heard (relatively recently -- don't remember exactly when) of another study where it was concluded that it's the body's perception of sunlight hitting the back and shoulders that is most effective in fighting depression (and included the commentary about what are we doing to our kids, when we're making them sit inside all day, and even P.E. is indoors, and no wonder kids are suffering from more depression... etc. etc.)

[kestrell]

Thanks! This gives me a couple more research leads to follow up on. Plus, it gives me an excuse to go listen to Bill Nye for awhile.

[capri0mni]

ha ha. You need an excuse to listen to Bill Nye??

[kestrell]

It's more a matter of, I occasionally need a gentle reminder that there are educational things on the Internet.