There is a difference between how the brains of healthy older adults perceive colour compared to younger adults, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.
The research, published in Scientific Reports, compared how the pupils of younger and older people reacted to different aspects of colour in the environment.
The study is the first to use pupillometry to show that as we grow older, our brains become less sensitive to the intensity of colours in the world around us.
The findings of the study also complement previous behavioural research that showed that older adults perceive surface colours to be less colourful than young adults.
Lead author, Dr Janneke van Leeuwen (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), said:
“This work brings into question the long-held belief among scientists that colour perception remains relatively constant across the lifespan, and suggests instead that colours slowly fade as we age. Our findings might also help explain why our colour preferences may alter as we age – and why at least some older people may prefer to dress in bold colours.”