Study finds better visual acuity is associated with less decline in cognitive functioning over time

Lower visual acuity is associated with both lower cognitive function and greater declines in cognitive functioning over a five-year period, according to a new University of Maine study.

The longitudinal research by Peter Dearborn and co-investigators affiliated with the UMaine Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, and the Department of Psychology found lower vision was associated with test performance scores for Global Cognitive functioning, Visual-Spatial Organization and Memory, and Verbal-Episodic Memory. However, visual acuity scores were unrelated to Working Memory, Scanning and Tracking and Executive Functioning domains.

Decreased sensory abilities such as vision and hearing are common with advancing age and associated with decreased quality of life, including engagement in reading, social activities and physical activity.

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