Aging Eyes: How Our Perception of Color Fades Over Time

According to a study published in 2023, the way we perceive color can shift significantly as we age. Researchers have found that older adults consistently rate colors as duller and less saturated compared to younger participants, even when accounting for eye conditions like cataracts.

The study, led by Dr. Janneke van Leeuwen, a social neuroscientist at University College London, suggests this change in color perception is not solely due to structural changes in the eye. Instead, the researchers believe the issue originates in the brain, as the visual cortex becomes less sensitive to the intensity of colors over time.

By tracking pupil responses, the researchers found that older adults' pupils reacted less strongly to highly saturated colors, indicating the brain is processing these hues with less intensity. This "Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect" is believed to be an evolutionary trait that helps the brain perceive important visual cues, like the ripeness of fruit. As this effect declines with age, the world may appear duller and less vibrant to older individuals.

While this age-related change in color perception does not necessarily lead to dementia, it provides valuable insight into how the brain changes with healthy aging. Researchers are now exploring whether "training" the brain, such as through the use of specialized glasses, could help mitigate these perceptual shifts and keep the world looking as bright and vivid as it once did.