Implications of medication for light and sight – and the power of 88… (piano keys)

Eyes on drugs

If you’ve ever had eye drops before a visual function test, you’ll know how disorienting that can be. That’s just a glimpse of the side-effects caused by many of the drugs that older adults in residential healthcare take every day. That’s on top of the natural decline in visual function and fatigue that comes with age – The multiple mediating effects of vision-specific factors and depression on the association between visual impairment severity and fatigue: a path analysis study, Changes in colour vision are also linked to common medications for heart disease, blood pressure and depression.

Here are just a few of those effects – The ocular adverse effects of oral drugs.

👁️ Antidepressants & Antipsychotics – Can cause blurred vision and light sensitivity.
💊 Diuretics & Blood Pressure Meds – May lead to dry eyes and reduced contrast sensitivity.
🩺 Steroids & Anti-inflammatories – Linked to cataract formation and increased glare issues.
💙 Diabetes Meds – Can affect night vision and adaptation to darkness.

Poor vision increases risk of falls as well as depression, anxiety and social isolation, major causes of morbidity in the USA – Vision Impairment and Psychosocial Function in US Adults.

The obvious solution is to reduce the medication dose – and make sure they’re administered at the optimum time of day to match the body clock – The ocular adverse effects of oral drugs.

Many common conditions, including dry eye and glaucoma, are directly linked to circadian disruption – so lighting that supports natural body clock will help – Chronobiological and neuroendocrine insights into dry eye, Circadian Rhythm and Glaucoma: What do We Know?

But when it comes to visual comfort, here are some tips to bear in mind –

1. Increase Ambient Light  – but avoid sources of glare and high-contrast patterns as these can be uncomfortable for people with cataracts and glaucoma – Aging effects on contrast sensitivity in visual pathways: A pilot study on flicker adaptation.
2. Offer choice and control –  Provide adjustable lamps for reading and a range of different zones or spaces to sit – Improved indoor lighting improved healthy aging at home – an intervention study in 77-year-old Norwegians.
3. Support Night Vision – Our eyes naturally adapt to lower light levels at night. Install softer lighting in the bathroom and around the door frame to reduce fear of falling during night time trips to the toilet – A Guiding Nightlight Decreases Fear of Falling and Increases Sleep Quality of Community-Dwelling Older People: A Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation.
4. Use colour-coding for important information and wayfinding: this will help residents experiencing colour vision loss due to medication as this helpful guide explains – Color Blindness. 
5. Use high color rendering index (CRI) lights: Older adults are relatively less sensitive to colour saturation than younger people – offering lighting that boosts saturation will help them to see the world as a more vibrant place – Pupil responses to colorfulness are selectively reduced in healthy older adults, and may even help older eaters to maintain weight – a critical factor in falls – Older individual’s perceptions of appetite, its loss, influencing factors and adaptions to poor appetite. A qualitative study.

IALD Valencia  

Neuroarchitecture explores how the built environment affects brain function, cognition, and wellbeing. I’m excited to speak at the IALD conference in Valencia about the connection between neuroarchitecture, visual processing, and inclusive design. Join me as I discuss how lighting and architecture can shape perception and create truly supportive spaces for all. #IALD #Neuroarchitecture #InclusiveDesign

Neuroarchitecture Meets Smart Lighting: Multisensory Design for Inclusive Spaces

Hope to see you there! – IALD Newsroom.

It’s World Piano Day! 

There are 88 keys on a standard piano keyboard – so World Piano Day takes place on the 88th day of the month 😉

I’ve been learning to play the recorder (not the piano) but luckily many of the light and brain-related facts are the same…

1. Learning the piano or a musical instrument in later life boosts visual and cognitive performance, ability to focus and mood than other skills like painting and computer training – Effects of music learning and piano practice on cognitive function, mood and quality of life in older adults. It can even reduce your risk of developing dementia – Playing a musical instrument and the risk of dementia among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, and improve emotion processing – The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease.

2. Practice makes perfect – but mental practice makes a big difference too as your brain learns to anticipate the notes coming up, boosting speed and accuracy. Interestingly, motor imagery was associated with greater changes in movement velocity, while auditory imagery was associated with greater movement anticipation – Mental practice promotes motor anticipation: evidence from skilled music performance.

3. When it comes to learning to play, windows and daylight improve visual comfort and reduce stress bright – “Lighting The Way To Better Learning: Assessing And Addressing Artificial Light Concerns In Classrooms”, cool light will improve visual comfort, accuracy and alertness.  Avoiding shadows on the keyboard is critical too – The Effect of Brightness on Listeners’ Perception of Physiological State and Mood of the Music During Listening.

4. For dyslexic students, printing the music onto their coloured paper of choice can boost accuracy and pitch, making it easier for them to enjoy the process – The Effects of Colored Paper on Musical Notation Reading on Music Students with Dyslexia. More guidance from the British Dyslexia Society here – Music and dyslexia.

5. When it comes to listening to music, it’s turning the lights down as dim lighting tends to make us more aware of shifts in our physiological state – Music and Medicine, and brighter lighting in the concert hall tends to reduce satisfaction- but as usual, it’s the quality of the overall experience, not the quantity that counts – Evaluating the overall impression of concert lighting: An integrated approach.