Li, CY., Song, QQ., Xu, WJ. et al. The Light–Eye–Brain Axis: Neurobiological Links Between Mood Disorders and Myopia—A Narrative Review. Ophthalmol Ther 15, 901–924 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-026-01315-2
Abstract
Light is a major environmental signal that shapes circadian rhythms, mood regulation, and ocular growth through a network of non-visual photoreceptive pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that photic information, particularly as decoded by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), converges on central circuits governing both affective states and refractive development.
To integrate these cross-system interactions, we propose the conceptual framework of a “light–eye–brain axis,” which outlines how environmental light cues are encoded by the retina and subsequently modulate neuroendocrine, autonomic, and inflammatory processes. Within this framework, mood disturbances may contribute to myopic progression through altered light-exposure behaviors, neurotransmitter imbalance, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis instability, and impaired neuroplasticity, whereas high myopia may increase vulnerability to anxiety or depressive symptoms through shared neural and immune pathways.
Taken together, this integrative perspective highlights how light-dependent signaling shapes both emotional and refractive outcomes, and provides a conceptual foundation for future mechanistic studies as well as evidence-informed approaches to optimizing light exposure in the context of mood and visual health.
Key Summary Points
| Light regulates circadian, mood, and ocular developmental pathways through non-visual photoreception, forming the foundation of the light–eye–brain axis. |
| Mood disorders and myopia share overlapping neurobiological mechanisms, including neurotransmitter imbalance, CCL2-mediated neuroinflammation, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysregulation, and impaired neuroplasticity. |
| Disruptions in light timing, spectrum, or intensity can induce mood disturbances and concurrently shift ocular growth signaling, influencing refractive development. |
| Refining light-exposure patterns and stabilizing mood regulation may offer dual mechanistic targets for future myopia prevention and intervention strategies. |