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Impact of simulated visual impairment on the cognitive test performance of young adults
Author(s) -
Wood Joanne M.,
Chaparro Alex,
Anstey Kaarin J.,
Hsing Y. Eve,
Johnsson Alexia K.,
Morse Anna L.,
Wainwright Sara E.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712608x374723
Subject(s) - stroop effect , audiology , contrast (vision) , digit symbol substitution test , psychology , cognition , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , developmental psychology , test (biology) , visual perception , neuroscience , medicine , artificial intelligence , perception , computer science , paleontology , alternative medicine , pathology , biology , placebo
Aims. This study investigated the effect of simulated visual impairment on the speed and accuracy of performance on a series of commonly used cognitive tests. Methods. Cognitive performance was assessed for 30 young, visually normal subjects ( M =22.0±3.1 years) using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B and the Stroop Colour Word Test under three visual conditions: normal vision and two levels of visually degrading filters (Vistech TM ) administered in a random order. Distance visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were also assessed for each filter condition. Results. The visual filters, which degraded contrast sensitivity to a greater extent than visual acuity, significantly increased the time to complete ( p <.05), but not the number of errors made, on the DSST and the TMT A and B and affected only some components of the Stroop test. Conclusions. Reduced contrast sensitivity had a marked effect on the speed but not the accuracy of performance on commonly used cognitive tests, even in young individuals; the implications of these findings are discussed.