Does cold LED glare affect mesopic visual function in middle-aged subjects?

• Published in: Journal of Building Engineering Vol. 112; p. 113706
• Main Authors: Arranz, I., Vicente, E.G., Redondo-Delgado, M., Merino, F.R., González-Arteaga T, T., Matesanz, B.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2025
• Subjects: Disability glare; Mesopic vision; Middle-aged; Visual reaction time; Disability glare; Middle-aged; Visual reaction time; Mesopic vision
• ISSN: 2352-7102; 2352-7102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2025.113706

The mean age of the active population is expected to increase in the coming years. In the case of middle-aged subjects, the effect that glare from the wide variety of LED light sources typical of night-time mobility is not fully understood. The aim of this work is to analyse the effect of the correlated colour temperature of different LED glare sources on the reaction time of middle-aged subjects. 21 middle-aged and 20 young healthy subjects participated in the study. A two-channel maxwellian view optical system was used to evaluate the impact of two glare sources of different correlated colour temperature on visual reaction time. The results show that foveal reaction time is not affected by the spectral composition of the light source or the age of the participants. For all subjects, the effect of glare decreases as background luminance increases. Higher emission at shorter wavelengths does not negatively affect the response time of middle-aged subjects, likely due to the action of macular pigment and the relationship between wavelength and intraocular scattering. On the other hand, the properties of the stimulus, the visual task analysed, and proper sensorimotor function would explain the absence of an age effect. •Glare lamps rich in short wavelengths do not significantly impact reaction time.•Active middle-aged adults show mesopic reaction times comparable to young individuals.•CCT does not define the spectral power distribution's effect on mesopic vision.