Can Artificial Intelligence Enhance Syncope Management?: A JACC: Advances Multidisciplinary Collaborative Statement.

Syncope, a form of transient loss of consciousness, remains a complex medical condition for which adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including death, are of major concern but rarely occur. Current risk stratification algorithms have not completely delineated which patients benefit from hospitalization and specific interventions. Patients are often admitted unnecessarily and at high cost. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning may help define the transient loss of consciousness event, diagnose the cause, assess short- and long-term risks, predict recurrence, and determine need for hospitalization and therapeutic intervention; however, several challenges remain, including medicolegal and ethical concerns. This collaborative statement, from a multidisciplinary group of clinicians, investigators, and scientists, focuses on the potential role of AI in syncope management with a goal to inspire creation of AI-derived clinical decision support tools that may improve patient outcomes, streamline diagnostics, and reduce health-care costs.

World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative.

BACKGROUND: falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults, have negative effects on functional independence and quality of life and are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health related costs. Current guidelines are inconsistent, with no up-to-date, globally applicable ones present. OBJECTIVES: to create a set of evidence- and expert consensus-based falls prevention and management recommendations applicable to older adults for use by healthcare and other professionals that consider: (i) a person-centred approach that includes the perspectives of older adults with lived experience, caregivers and other stakeholders; (ii) gaps in previous guidelines; (iii) recent developments in e-health and (iv) implementation across locations with limited access to resources such as low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: a steering committee and a worldwide multidisciplinary group of experts and stakeholders, including older adults, were assembled. Geriatrics and gerontological societies were represented. Using a modified Delphi process, recommendations from 11 topic-specific working groups (WGs), 10 ad-hoc WGs and a WG dealing with the perspectives of older adults were reviewed and refined. The final recommendations were determined by voting. RECOMMENDATIONS: all older adults should be advised on falls prevention and physical activity. Opportunistic case finding for falls risk is recommended for community-dwelling older adults. Those considered at high risk should be offered a comprehensive multifactorial falls risk assessment with a view to co-design and implement personalised multidomain interventions. Other recommendations cover details of assessment and intervention components and combinations, and recommendations for specific settings and populations. CONCLUSIONS: the core set of recommendations provided will require flexible implementation strategies that consider both local context and resources.

The relationship between radiological paraspinal lumbar measures and clinical measures of sarcopenia in older patients with chronic lower back pain.

Objectives: Sarcopenia is postulated to be an influential factor in chronic low back pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between traditional clinical measures of sarcopenia and novel radiographic methods which evaluate overall muscle status, such as adjusted psoas cross-sectional area (APCSA) and degree of fat infiltration (%FI) in paraspinal muscles, in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: Prospective study performed at our institution from 01/01/19-01/04/19. Inclusion criteria were patients ≥65 years old not requiring surgical intervention presenting to a low back pain assessment clinic. Results: 25 patients were identified (mean age: 73 years, 62% male). On spearman's analyses, %FI shared a significant relationship with hand grip strength (r = -0.37; p=0.03), chair rise (r=0.38; p=0.03), SC (r=0.64; p<0.01), and visual analogue scale scores (r=-0.14; p=0.02). Comparably, a statistically significant correlation was evident between APCSA and %FI (r=-0.40; p=0.02) on analysis. Conclusion: The results of our study demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between APCSA and %FI in the multifidus and erector spinae muscles. Further significant associations of relatability were depicted with traditional clinical measures of sarcopenia. Thus, %FI may be a supplemental indicator of the sarcopenic status of patients presenting with chronic low back pain.

Development of the ADFICE_IT Models for Predicting Falls and Recurrent Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Pooled Analyses of European Cohorts With Special Attention to Medication.

BACKGROUND: Use of fall prevention strategies requires detection of high-risk patients. Our goal was to develop prediction models for falls and recurrent falls in community-dwelling older adults and to improve upon previous models by using a large, pooled sample and by considering a wide range of candidate predictors, including medications. METHODS: Harmonized data from 2 Dutch (LASA, B-PROOF) and 1 German cohort (ActiFE Ulm) of adults aged ≥65 years were used to fit 2 logistic regression models: one for predicting any fall and another for predicting recurrent falls over 1 year. Model generalizability was assessed using internal-external cross-validation. RESULTS: Data of 5 722 participants were included in the analyses, of whom 1 868 (34.7%) endured at least 1 fall and 702 (13.8%) endured a recurrent fall. Positive predictors for any fall were: educational status, depression, verbal fluency, functional limitations, falls history, and use of antiepileptics and drugs for urinary frequency and incontinence; negative predictors were: body mass index (BMI), grip strength, systolic blood pressure, and smoking. Positive predictors for recurrent falls were: educational status, visual impairment, functional limitations, urinary incontinence, falls history, and use of anti-Parkinson drugs, antihistamines, and drugs for urinary frequency and incontinence; BMI was a negative predictor. The average C-statistic value was 0.65 for the model for any fall and 0.70 for the model for recurrent falls. CONCLUSION: Compared with previous models, the model for recurrent falls performed favorably while the model for any fall performed similarly. Validation and optimization of the models in other populations are warranted.

Fatigue following COVID-19 infection is not associated with autonomic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The long-term clinical and physiological consequences of COVID-19 infection remain unclear. While fatigue has emerged as a common symptom following infection, little is known about its links with autonomic dysfunction. SARS-CoV-2 is known to infect endothelial cells in acute infection, resulting in autonomic dysfunction. Here we set out to test the hypothesis that this results in persistent autonomic dysfunction and is associated with post-COVID fatigue in convalescent patients. METHODS: We recruited 20 fatigued and 20 non-fatigued post-COVID patients (median age 44.5 years, 36/40 (90%) female, median time to follow up 166.5 days). Fatigue was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale. These underwent the Ewing's autonomic function test battery, including deep breathing, active standing, Valsalva manoeuvre and cold-pressor testing, with continuous electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitoring, as well as near-infrared spectroscopy-based cerebral oxygenation. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was also conducted, and patients completed the generalised anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire. We assessed between-group differences in autonomic function test results and used unadjusted and adjusted linear regression to investigate the relationship between fatigue, anxiety, and autonomic test results. RESULTS: We found no pathological differences between fatigued and non-fatigued patients on autonomic testing or on 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance were reported by 70% of the fatigued cohort at the time of active standing, with no associated physiological abnormality detected. Fatigue was strongly associated with increased anxiety (p <0.001), with no patients having a pre-existing diagnosis of anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the significant burden of fatigue, symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and anxiety in the aftermath of COVID-19 infection, but reassuringly do not demonstrate pathological findings on autonomic testing.

Delayed Blood Pressure Recovery After Standing Independently Predicts Fracture in Community-Dwelling Older People.

OBJECTIVES: Orthostatic hypotension, characterized by delayed blood pressure (BP) recovery after standing, is a risk factor for falls but the longitudinal relationship with fracture is not yet known. The aim of this study was to examine the prospective risk of fracture associated with delayed BP recovery. DESIGN: Longitudinal study with 8-year follow-up. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: More than 3000 (54% female) community-dwelling people aged ≥50 years from a large longitudinal study on ageing. METHODS: Orthostatic BP was measured using a finometer when standing from lying. Delayed BP recovery was defined as systolic BP ≥20 mm Hg lower and/or diastolic BP ≥10 mm Hg from the baseline value at 30, 60, and 90 seconds after standing. Participants with a fracture reported at any of waves 2 to 5 were defined as having incident fracture. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the association between delayed BP recovery and incident fracture. RESULTS: Seven percent (212/3117) of participants sustained a fracture during follow-up. Delayed BP recovery at 30 seconds was a significant predictor of any fracture [OR 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28-2.53] and hip fracture (OR 4.44, 95% CI 2.03-9.71) in fully adjusted models. Delayed BP recovery at 30 seconds did not predict wrist or vertebral fracture. Delayed BP recovery at 60 seconds also predicted any fracture (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.19-2.54) and hip fracture (OR 4.66, 95% CI 2.12-10.26) whereas delayed BP recovery at 90 seconds predicted any (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.38-2.87), wrist (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.19-2.95), and hip fracture (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.45-7.93) in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSION: and Implications: Delayed BP recovery independently predicts fracture in community-dwelling older people, is potentially modifiable, and can be measured in an ambulatory setting. Because of the morbidity and mortality associated with fractures, identification of such risk factors is crucial in order to inform preventative strategies.

One-Dimensional Statistical Parametric Mapping Identifies Impaired Orthostatic Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Response in Frailty Index.

BACKGROUND: Orthostasis is a potent physiological stressor which adapts with age. The age-related accumulation of health deficits in multiple physiological systems may impair the physiological response to orthostasis and lead to negative health outcomes such as falls, depression, and cognitive decline. Research to date has focused on changes with orthostasis at prespecified intervals of time, without consideration for whole signal approaches. METHODS: One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping identified regions in time of significant association between variables of interest using a general linear model. Frailty index operationalized accumulated health and social deficits using 32-items from a computer-assisted interview. This study examined the association of frailty index on blood pressure, heart rate, and cerebral oxygenation during an orthostatic test in a sample of 2742 adults aged 50 or older from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. RESULTS: Frailty index was seen to be negatively associated with cerebral oxygenation changes from baseline over a period of 7 seconds (p = .036). Heart rate and systolic blood pressure were positively and negatively associated with frailty index over periods of 17 seconds (p = .001) and 10 seconds (p = .015), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Statistical parametric mapping demonstrated these significant regions of cerebral oxygenation during orthostasis provide indirect evidence of impaired autoregulation associated with frailty. Statistical parametric mapping also replicated prior relationships in heart rate and systolic blood pressure associated with a higher frailty index. These findings highlight the utility of 1-dimensional statistical parametric modeling in identifying significant regions of interest in physiological recordings.

Is there an association between orthostatic hypotension and cerebral white matter hyperintensities in older people? The Irish longitudinal study on ageing.

INTRODUCTION: Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) is an abnormal drop in blood pressure (BP) that occurs following orthostatic challenge. OH is associated with increased risk of falls, cognitive impairment and death. White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH) on MR Brain are associated with vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and age. We examined whether extent White matter intensities were associated with presence of OH detected in a community dwelling population of older people. METHODS: Individuals from the MR sub-study of the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing underwent a 3 Tesla MR Brain scan to assess WMH severity (Schelten's Score). The scans were performed during the Wave 3 TILDA health assessment phase when the subjects also underwent assessment for OH with an active stand protocol. Data was analysed for association between WMH and vascular risks and orthostatic change in BP 10 second intervals during the OH evaluation. RESULTS: 440 subjects were investigated; median age 72 years (65-92 years) and 228 (51.5%) female. Range of Scheltens' Scores was 0-32. Mean score was 9.72 (SD 5.87). OH was detected in 68.4% (301). On linear regression, positive associations were found between Scheltens' Score and age, hypertension, prior history of stroke and TIA, and with OH at 30, 70, 90 and 100 seconds following standing (p < 0.05, O.R. 1.9-2.5). CONCLUSION: WMD is associated with OH detected at multiple time points using active stand in community dwelling older subjects. Further research is necessary to evaluate the direction of this association.

Impaired orthostatic heart rate recovery is associated with smaller thalamic volume: Results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA).

The thalamus is a central hub of the autonomic network and thalamic volume has been associated with high-risk phenotypes for sudden cardiac death. Heart rate response to physiological stressors (e.g., standing) and the associated recovery patterns provide reliable indicators of both autonomic function and cardiovascular risk. Here we examine if thalamic volume may be a risk marker for impaired heart rate recovery in response to orthostatic challenge. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging involves a nationally representative sample of older individuals aged ≥50 years. Multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging and orthostatic heart rate recovery were available for a cross-sectional sample of 430 participants. Multivariable regression and linear mixed-effects models were adjusted for head size, age, sex, education, body mass index, blood pressure, history of cardiovascular diseases and events, cardiovascular medication, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol intake, timed up-and-go (a measure of physical frailty), physical exercise and depression. Smaller thalamic volume was associated with slower heart rate recovery (-1.4 bpm per 1 cm3 thalamic volume, 95% CI -2.01 to -0.82; p < .001). In multivariable analysis, participants with smaller thalamic volumes had a mean heart rate recovery -2.7 bpm slower than participants with larger thalamic volumes (95% CI -3.89 to -1.61; p < .001). Covariates associated with smaller thalamic volume included age, history of diabetes, and heavy alcohol consumption. Thalamic volume may be an indicator of the structural integrity of the central autonomic network. It may be a clinical biomarker for stratification of individuals at risk of autonomic dysfunction, cardiovascular events, and sudden cardiac death.

The prevalence of unexplained falls and syncope in older adults presenting to an Irish urban emergency department.

AIM: There is growing evidence of an overlap between unexplained falls and syncope in older adults. Our aim was to examine the prevalence and associated resource utilization of these conditions in an urban emergency department (ED). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A single-centre, prospective, observational study was carried out over a 6-month period. Consecutive patients older than 50 years who presented to the ED because of a fall, collapse or syncope were included. Univariate analysis of demographic data is presented as percentages, mean (SD), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and medians (interquartile range). Logistic regression modelling was used to examine the association between falls and resource utilization. RESULTS: A total of 561 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria during the study period. Unexplained fallers accounted for 14.3% (n=80; 95% CI: 13.3-15.3) and syncope for 12.7% (n=71; 95% CI: 11.7-13.6) of all fall presentations. Overall, 50% (n=282; 95% CI: 48.20-52.34) of patients required admission to hospital. Patients with syncope [odds ratio (OR)=2.48, 95% CI: 1.45-4.23], and unexplained falls (OR=2.36, 95% CI: 1.37-4.08) were more likely to require admission than those with an explained falls. Unexplained fallers were nearly five times more likely to suffer recurrent falls (OR=4.97, 95% CI: 2.89-8.56). CONCLUSION: One in four older fallers presenting to ED have symptoms suggestive of syncope or an unexplained fall. There are significant biological consequences of recurrent falls including greater rates of cognitive decline, gait and mobility disturbances, depression and frailty. Recognition that syncope can present as an unexplained fall in older adults is important to ensure that appropriate early modifiable interventions are initiated.

Life Course Transitions and Changes in Alcohol Consumption Among Older Irish Adults: Results From The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether trajectories of older adults' alcohol consumption are influenced by the following life course transitions, relationship status, employment status, and self-rated health. Method: Volume and frequency of drinking were harmonized across first three waves of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA; N = 4,295). Multilevel regression models were used to model frequency, average weekly consumption, and heavy episodic drinking. Results: Men and women drank more frequently over time, with frequency decreasing with age for women. Average weekly consumption decreased over time and with increasing age. Transitions in self-rated health, particularly those reflecting poorer health, were associated with lower frequency and weekly consumption. Heavy episodic drinking decreased with age. Men who were retired across all waves were more likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking at baseline. Discussion: Despite the decline in average weekly consumption and heavy episodic drinking, the observed quantities consumed and the increase in frequency of consumption suggest that older Irish adults remain vulnerable to alcohol-related harms.

Self-report versus electronic medical record recorded healthcare utilisation in older community-dwelling adults: Comparison of two prospective cohort studies.

INTRODUCTION: Self-reported measures of healthcare utilisation are often used in longitudinal cohort studies involving older community-dwelling people. The aim of this study is to compare healthcare utilisation rates using patient self-report and manual extraction from the general practice (GP) electronic medical record (EMR). METHODS: Study population: Two prospective cohort studies (n = 806 and n = 1,377, aged ≥70 years) conducted in the Republic of Ireland were compared. Study outcomes: GP, outpatient department (OPD) and emergency department (ED) visits over a one-year period. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics of the two cohorts are presented. A negative binomial regression was performed and results are presented as incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). For the outcome of any ED visit, linear regression was performed, yielding risk ratios (RR) with 95% CI. RESULTS: The annual rates of GP, OPD and ED visits were 6.30 (SD 4.63), 2.11 (SD 2.46) and 0.26 (SD 0.62) respectively in GP EMR cohort, compared to 5.65 (SD 8.06), 2.09 (SD 5.83) and 0.32 (SD 0.84) in the self-report cohort. In univariate regression analysis comparing healthcare utilisation, the self-report cohort reported a lower frequency of GP visits (unadjusted IRR 0.90 (95% CI 0.84, 0.96), p = 0.02)), a greater frequency of ED visits (1.20 (0.98, 1.49), p = 0.083)), and no difference in OPD visits (unadjusted IRR 0.99 (95% CI 0.86, 1.13), p = 0.845)). In multivariate analysis, adjusted for relevant confounders, there was no difference in GP visits (adjusted IRR 0.99 (95% CI 0.92, 1.06), p = 0.684)) or OPD visits (adjusted IRR 1.09 (0.95, 1.25), p = 0.23)) between the two cohorts. However, the self-report cohort reported 37% more ED visits (adjusted IRR 1.37 (1.10, 1.71), p = 0.005)) and were more likely to report any ED visit (adjusted RR 1.23 (95% CI 1.02, 1.48), p = 0.028)). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that reported rates of GP and OPD visits were similar but there were differences in reported ED visits, with significantly higher self-reported visits. This may be due to ED visits not being notified to the GP and contextual issues such as transfer of healthcare utilisation data between sectors may vary in different healthcare systems.

Semantic and Phonemic Verbal Fluency Discrepancy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Potential Predictor of Progression to Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the utility of verbal fluency discrepancy scores in predicting progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a cohort of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). DESIGN: Case control. SETTING: Cases identified from new referrals to a memory clinic and controls identified from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. PARTICIPANTS: Of 308 individuals with MCI at baseline identified from consecutive referrals to a memory clinic and compared at with age-, sex-, and education-matched controls (n=302), 161 completed 2 years of follow-up or progressed to AD during the study period. MEASUREMENTS: Verbal fluency discrepancy (semantic-phonemic fluency) scores at baseline were calculated for each participant. Each case was followed with repeated neuropsychological measurements, and multidisciplinary consensus diagnosis was recorded. RESULTS: Mean discrepancy score for those who progressed to AD (2.7) was significantly lower than for those who retained a MCI diagnosis (4.8) and normal controls (7.7) (p<.001). Logistic regression revealed that, for each unit decrease in discrepancy score at baseline, the odds of progressing to AD were 9% greater. (Exp(B) = 1.09, p=.02) CONCLUSION: Individuals with MCI have less of a semantic advantage than those without MCI. Those with MCI presenting with a phonemic advantage at initial assessment warrant close follow-up and a high index of suspicion for progression to AD.

Cognitive Status, Gray Matter Atrophy, and Lower Orthostatic Blood Pressure in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Associations between orthostatic blood pressure and cognitive status (CS) have been described with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that long-term exposure to lower orthostatic blood pressure is related to having worse CS later in life and that atrophy of regions involved in central regulation of autonomic function mediate these associations. METHODS: Three-to-four measures of orthostatic blood pressure were obtained from 1997-2003 in a longitudinal cohort of aging, and average systolic orthostatic blood pressure response (ASOBPR) was computed as % change in systolic blood pressure from sit-to-stand measured at one minute post stand. CS was determined in 2010-2012 by clinician-adjudication (n = 240; age = 87.1±2.6; 59% women; 37% black) with a subsample also undergoing concurrent structural neuroimaging (n = 129). Gray matter volume of regions related to autonomic function was measured. Multinomial regression was used to compare ASOBPR in those who were cognitively intact versus those with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, controlling for demographics, trajectories of seated blood pressure, incident cardiovascular risk/events and medications measured from 1997 to 2012. Models were repeated in the subsample with neuroimaging, before and after adjustment for regional gray matter volume. RESULTS: There was an inverse association between ASOBPR and probability of dementia diagnosis (9% lower probability for each % point higher ASOBPR: OR 0.91, CI95%  = 0.85-0.98; p = 0.01). Associations were similar in the subgroup with neuroimaging before and after adjustment for regional gray matter volume. CONCLUSION: ASOBPR may be an early marker of risk of dementia in older adults living in the community.

Preservation of the Semantic Verbal Fluency Advantage in a Large Population-Based Sample: Normative Data from the TILDA Study.

OBJECTIVES: It is widely believed that phonemic fluency is more difficult than naming exemplars from a semantic category. Normative data in this regard are scarce, and there is considerable disagreement in the literature regarding the pattern in normal ageing and neurodegenerative conditions. Our objective was to provide normative data for semantic phonemic discrepancy scores from a large sample of older adults. METHODS: A total of 5780 community-dwelling older adults were included in this prospective, longitudinal study. Discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting phonemic fluency score from semantic fluency score for each participant. Quantile regression was used to estimate normative values stratified for age. RESULTS: Subjects did better on testing of semantic fluency. The average discrepancy score was 9.18±6.89 words, (range, -20 to 37; n=5780). At the fiftieth percentile, those in their fifth decade produced 10 more "animals" than "letter F" words. Subjects scored one word less per decade, with an average of seven more "animal" words produced by those in their eighth decade. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to provide normative data and confirms that, for animal versus letter F fluency, the semantic advantage persists into later life in a population-based sample of community-dwelling older adults. Given that a majority of clinical samples have confirmed a reverse of this pattern in Alzheimer's dementia (i.e., loss of semantic advantage in Alzheimer's disease, yielding a phonemic advantage), our findings support the clinical utility of brief fluency tests and encourage further research into their use in diagnosis and prediction of progression to dementia.

Long-term cardiac monitoring in older adults with unexplained falls and syncope.

AIMS: Unexplained falls account for 20% of falls in older cohorts. The role of the implantable loop recorder (ILR) in the detection of arrhythmias in patients with unexplained falls is unknown. We aimed to examine the diagnostic utility of the ILR in detection of arrhythmogenic causes of unexplained falls in older patients. METHODS: A single centre, prospective, observational cohort study of recurrent fallers over the age of 50 years with two or more unexplained falls presenting to an emergency department. Insertion of an ILR (Reveal, Medtronic, Minnesota, USA) was used to detect arrhythmia. The primary outcome was detection of cardiac arrhythmia associated with a fall or syncope. The secondary outcome was detection of cardiac arrhythmia independent of falls or syncope, and falls or syncope without associated arrhythmia. RESULTS: Seventy patients, mean age 70 years (51-85 years) received an ILR. In 70% of patients cardiac arrhythmias were detected at a mean time of 47.3 days (SD 48.25). In 20%, falls were attributable to a modifiable cardiac arrhythmia; 10 (14%) received a cardiac pacemaker, 4 (6%) had treatment for supraventricular tachycardia. Patients who had a cardiac arrhythmia detected were more likely to experience a further fall. CONCLUSIONS: 14 (20%) patients demonstrated an arrhythmia which was attributable as the cause of their fall. Patients who have cardiac arrhythmia are significantly more likely to experience future falls. Further research is important to investigate if early detection of arrhythmogenic causes of falls using the ILR prevents future falls in older patients.

Trail Making Test performance contributes to subjective judgment of visual efficiency in older adults.

Introduction. The determinant factors that influence self-reported quality of vision have yet to be fully elucidated. This study evaluated a range of contextual information, established psychophysical tests, and in particular, a series of cognitive tests as potentially novel determinant factors. Materials & Methods. Community dwelling adults (aged 50+) recruited to Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, excluding those registered blind, participated in this study (N = 5,021). Self-reports of vision were analysed in relation to visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, ocular pathology, visual (Choice Response Time task; Trail Making Test) and global cognition. Contextual factors such as having visited an optometrist and wearing glasses were also considered. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine univariate and multivariate associations. Results and Discussion. Poor Trail Making Test performance (Odds ratio, OR = 1.36), visual acuity (OR = 1.72) and ocular pathology (OR = 2.25) were determinant factors for poor versus excellent vision in self-reports. Education, wealth, age, depressive symptoms and general cognitive fitness also contributed to determining self-reported vision. Conclusions. Trail Making Test contribution to self-reports may capture higher level visual processing and should be considered when using self-reports to assess vision and its role in cognitive and functional health.