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A Cerebral Basis for Visual Discomfort and Visual Stress
Paul B Hibbard1, Peter Allen2, Jordi M Asher1
1School of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Vision (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Visual discomfort, often affecting neurodivergent individuals, may arise from mismatches in visual stimuli between natural and urban environments. Interventions include environmental changes and personalized optical treatments to improve visual accessibility.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Vision Science
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Visual discomfort is a common subjective experience triggered by specific visual stimuli.
- It disproportionately affects individuals with heightened sensory sensitivities, including neurodivergent populations.
- Current understanding suggests a potential mismatch between artificial and natural visual environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the link between visual stimuli characteristics and discomfort.
- To propose a cerebral mechanism explaining visual stress and individual differences.
- To identify potential interventions for mitigating visual discomfort.
Main Methods:
- Discussing the inefficient processing of specific spatial, chromatic, and temporal visual characteristics.
- Proposing a cerebral mechanism for visual discomfort.
- Reviewing potential environmental and individual-level interventions.
Main Results:
- Visual discomfort may stem from a mismatch between human-made and natural visual environments.
- Certain visual stimuli characteristics are processed inefficiently by the visual system.
- A proposed cerebral mechanism explains discomfort and individual susceptibility variations.
Conclusions:
- Environmental modifications and personalized optical treatments can reduce visual stress.
- Creating visually accessible and inclusive environments requires interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Further research bridging vision science, design, and neuroscience is essential.
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