A pilot study of lighting and low vision in older people

Abstract

We investigated the influence of lighting on performance at activities of daily living in 24 older people with low vision from cataract and/or macular degeneration. Participants carried out four everyday tasks, each at three illuminances: 50 lux, 200 lux, and 800 lux. Both objective performance and subjective preference were recorded. Subjects tend to perform better under brighter conditions, but the average results masked large individual variations. Indeed, most participants showed a large effect of lighting on performance in at least one task, but the optimal light level varied idiosyncratically from one subject to another. The best approach to provide optimal lighting for older people with low vision may be to individually assess their preference and performance at different light levels.