Abstracts

Temporal light modulation (TLM)—invisible flicker emitted by light emitting diode (LED) lighting—is an environmental factor with growing relevance for pediatric neurology. Despite widespread use of lighting with notable levels of TLM in schools and healthcare settings, TLM’s neurophysiological impact remains poorly characterized. Pediatric patients with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and epilepsy frequently report visual sensitivity, headaches, and environmental triggers, yet few tools exist to quantify or study TLM’s effects on brain function. To address this, we initiated a multisite, multidisciplinary collaboration to establish the infrastructure needed to study TLM as a sensory exposure with relevance to seizure thresholds, neurofunctional symptoms, and quality of life.

Over the past nine months, we developed a transdisciplinary research platform integrating pediatric neurology, lighting science, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, and public health. Our team includes collaborators from Children’s Nebraska, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Oregon State University, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We established shared vocabularies and protocols across disciplines, created reproducible light stimulus libraries (varying frequency, waveform, modulation depth), and developed fMRI protocols targeting subcortical processing regions (e.g., superior colliculus, LGN, thalamus). We are piloting behavioral, neuroimaging, and perceptual studies across clinical populations—particularly children with FND and epilepsy—while concurrently assessing TLM exposure in real-world settings such as schools and public buildings.

Our collaboration has produced: (1) validated TLM exposure paradigms for use in functional MRI; (2) a shared framework for assessing TLM-related symptoms across diagnoses (FND, epilepsy, migraine); (3) pilot recruitment pipelines for pediatric patients; and (4) identified public health gaps in awareness and regulation of TLM in lighting design. Early pilot data is being collected. Anecdotal evidence and prior research suggest elevated sensitivity to certain TLM parameters in patients with FND and photosensitive epilepsy, especially in mid-frequency bands associated with stroboscopic and phantom array effects. Stakeholder outreach to lighting engineers, school districts, and construction planners is underway.

Studying the neurological effects of TLM requires bridging engineering, neuroscience, and clinical medicine. We demonstrate the feasibility of building a coordinated response, multisite research platform to investigate sensory hypersensitivity in children with FND and epilepsy. This work repositions TLM as a modifiable environmental factor with relevance to seizure exacerbation and symptom generation. Our framework aims to serve as a model for future environmental neuroscience collaborations that prioritizes translational relevance bridging the divide of wellness with multidisciplinary integration.