Perceptual and cognitive neural correlates of the useful field of view test in older adults.

The Useful Field of View Test (UFOV) is often used as a behavioral assessment of age-related decline in visual perception and cognition. Poor performance may reflect slowed processing speed, difficulty dividing attention, and difficulty ignoring irrelevant information. However, the underlying neural correlates of UFOV performance have not been identified. The relationship between older adults' UFOV performance and event-related potential (ERP) components reflecting visual processing was examined. P1 amplitude increased with better UFOV performance involving object identification (subtest 1), suggesting that this task is associated with stimulus processing at an early perceptual level. Better performance in all UFOV subtests was associated with faster speed of processing, as reflected by decreases in P3b latency. Current evidence supports the hypothesis that the UFOV recruits both early perceptual and later cognitive processing involved in attentional control. The implications of these results are discussed.

A longitudinal analysis of the influence of race on cognitive performance.

OBJECTIVES: Whether there are racial and ethnic disparities in the rate of cognitive decline among older adults is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in cognitive decline among racial and ethnic older adults. METHOD: Data were from the Health and Retirement Study, waves 1998-2010. Participants were community dwelling at baseline (n = 9,492), mostly female participants (58.8%), ranged in age from 65 to 105 years (M = 74.41, SD = 6.97), and had education levels that averaged less than high school (M = 11.7, SD = 3.4). Cognition was examined using a combined score from word recall, Serial 7's, backward counting, and naming tasks. To determine changes in cognition across 12 years, we utilized mixed effects models. RESULTS: Results indicated that after adjusting for covariates, race or ethnicity was unrelated to changes in cognitive performance, but there were significant differences in baseline cognition and these differences were more pronounced after adjusting for age, gender, education, poverty, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure. DISCUSSION: It is evident that there are significant differences in baseline cognition, although the rate of cognitive decline across 12 years did not vary significantly by race. These findings support previous assertions that the rate of cognitive decline is not associated with race and suggest that it is likely that baseline cognitive performance is a better indicator of performance over time.

Cognitive training and selective attention in the aging brain: an electrophysiological study.

OBJECTIVE: Age-related deficits in selective attention are hypothesized to result from decrements in inhibition of task-irrelevant information. Speed of processing (SOP) training is an adaptive cognitive intervention designed to enhance processing speed for attention tasks. The effectiveness of SOP training to improve cognitive and everyday functional performance is well documented. However, underlying mechanisms of these training benefits are unknown. METHODS: Participants completed a visual search task evaluated using event-related potentials (ERPs) before and after 10 weeks of SOP training or no contact. N2pc and P3b components were evaluated to determine SOP training effects on attentional resource allocation and capacity. RESULTS: Selective attention to a target was enhanced after SOP training compared to no training. N2pc and P3b amplitudes increased after training, reflecting attentional allocation and capacity enhancement, consistent with previous studies demonstrating behavioral improvements in selective attention following SOP training. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in ERPs related to attention allocation and capacity following SOP training support the idea that training leads to cognitive enhancement. Specifically, we provide electrophysiological evidence that SOP training may be successful in counteracting age-related declines in selective attention. SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides important evidence of the underlying mechanisms by which SOP training improves cognitive function in older adults.

Cognitive function as a prospective predictor of falls.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined speed of processing, executive functioning, and psychomotor speed as independent prospective predictors of falls and recurrent falls across 3 years. METHOD: The participants were 509 community-dwelling older adults. Measures of speed of processing, executive function, psychomotor speed, and known risk factors of falling were included in correlation and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Poor executive function (Trail Making Test), slower speed of processing (Digit Symbol Substitution [DSS] Test), and slower psychomotor speed (Digit Symbol Copy Test) were significantly associated with falls. Poor executive function and speed of processing performance (Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and DSS Test) as well as slower psychomotor speed were significantly related to recurrent falls. Logistic regression results indicated that only medication use, far visual acuity, and psychomotor speed were significant independent predictors of falls. Regarding recurrent falls, being white, medication use, and balance were significant predictors. DISCUSSION: Although cognitive measures at baseline were significantly associated with falls and recurrent falls at follow-up, these measures did not predict falling after considering known risk factors of falls and psychomotor speed. Thus, it may be that simple measures of psychomotor speed are more salient predictors of falls than cognitive measures.