BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Visual Neuroscience
The Effects of Polarization Characteristics on Visual Fatigue: An Empirical Study Based on Subjective and Objective Indicators
Provisionally accepted
Feng Si1
Shuang Miao2Yi Yang1Shun li2GuoLi Liu1Wei Cao2RuiChen Zhang2
Haibo Yang3ZiHan Yang3KaiXuan Wang2*
Yunhong Zhang1,3*- 1China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing, China
- 2BOE Technology Group Co Ltd, Beijing, China
- 3Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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Introduction: This study aimed to examine the impact of circularly polarized versus linearly polarized displays on visual health, with a focus on visual fatigue during prolonged screen use. Methods: Eighteen healthy adults participated in a within-subject design. Under controlled illumination and display parameters, participants performed a 40-minute standardized visual task. Electroencephalography (EEG) and Vertical electrooculography (VEOG) were recorded concurrently, while subjective questionnaires were administered to assess visual fatigue and alertness. Results: Compared with linearly polarized displays, circularly polarized displays were associated with significantly smaller increases in subjective visual fatigue and smaller declines in alertness (ps<0.05). Blink rate remained stable under circular polarization but increased significantly under linear polarization and higher than in circular polarization (p<0.05). EEG analyses revealed that circular polarization preserved stable neural activity, whereas linear polarization elicited a significant increase in the (𝜃+ 𝛼)/𝛽 ratio and a significant decrease in alpha centroid frequency (ps<0.05), indicating reduced cortical activation and slowed neural processing. Conclusion: Circularly polarized displays, by more closely resembling the optical properties of natural light, can effectively mitigate visual fatigue induced by prolonged screen viewing. These findings provide both theoretical insights and empirical evidence to inform the development of healthier display technologies and ergonomics-related standards.
Keywords: polarized light, Visual fatigue, Subjective alertness, blink rate, EEG spectral features, alpha centroidfrequency, Integrated evaluation
Received: 29 Sep 2025; Accepted: 06 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Si, Miao, Yang, li, Liu, Cao, Zhang, Yang, Yang, Wang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
KaiXuan Wang, wangkaixuan@boe.com.cn
Yunhong Zhang, 18911150896@163.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.