Psychophysiological effects of coloured lighting on older adults

Abstract

This paper examines the psychological and psychophysiological effects of blue light exposure — as compared to red light exposure — on older adults during the day. The blue lighting was found to be significantly more activating and more unpleasant than the red lighting. The mid-frequency high-frequency ratio of the heart period variability slightly decreased under blue lighting indicating an increase of parasympathetic modulation in this lighting condition compared to red lighting.