Vision impairments reduce cognitive test performance
Macnamara, A., Schinazi, V. R., Chen, C., Coussens, S., & Loetscher, T. (2021). Vision impairments reduce cognitive test performance. Nature Aging, 1-2.
Cognitive tests are critical for the reliable assessment of cognitive functioning in an aging population. However, even validated psychometric tests are subject to a variety of extraneous factors (for example, culture and language) that may affect performance. Regarding aging, one factor that stands out is reduced visual function. Indeed, performance on cognitive tests has been found to be negatively affected by vision impairment (for example, age related macular degeneration or cataracts). When vision impairment is neglected during assessments, poor test scores may be falsely attributed to lower cognitive ability. This oversight can have substantial ramifications for research on cognitive functioning and the accurate diagnosis of cognitive impairment.