2024/01/22 by Elisabetta Baldanzi, Baldanzi, Elisabetta, Paolo Antonino Grasso +9
Environmental Science · Neuroscience · Physics and Astronomy · #Color Science and Applications #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Impact of Light on Environment and Health #Medical Physics (physics.med-ph) #Quantitative Methods (q-bio.QM) #Visual perception and processing mechanisms
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2402.13382
openalex publication_date 2024/01/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This study investigates the impact of monochromatic lighting on visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS). Traditional assessments of VA and CS are typically conducted under the illumination of ``white'' light, but variations in color temperature can influence outcomes. Utilizing data from an exhibition by Olafur Eliasson, where a room was illuminated with low-pressure sodium lamps, creating an almost monochromatic yellow light, we compared visual assessments in the yellow room with conventional lighting in a white room. For VA, the results show no significant differences between the two lighting conditions, while for CS, a more nuanced situation is observed. The bias in CS measurements is clinically relevant, and the p-value suggests that further investigation with a larger, more diverse sample may be worthwhile. Despite limitations, such as higher illumination conditions than standard protocols, the unique ``laboratory'' offered by the exhibition facilitated measurements not easily achievable in a traditional setting.