Many older adults are subject to declines in their ability to function effectively and independently. In particular, sensory, perceptual, and cognitive functions may deteriorate in later life for some individuals, and it is widely believed that these deficits contribute to a decline in the ability to perform everyday activities. While much is now known about cognitive and sensory aging, relatively little is known about the functional consequences of age differences for everyday tasks. Furthermore, relatively little research has been done to aid in the development of interventions designed to prevent, delay, or reverse the disabilities which affect older adults. Past research evaluating the relationships between visual function, attentional function, cognitive function and driving crashes has determined that the Useful Field of View, a composite measure of visual attention, is predictive of the crash frequencies of older drivers, as sell as amenable to intervention. The objectives of this project will extend previous work in three areas; 1) Studies will further explore the mechanisms underlying UFOV reduction, and training. These studies will also permit a test of several current competing theories of cognitive aging, and data will be analyzed to determine whether different mechanisms underlie observed deficits within different individuals. For example, based on existing theoretical models, expansion of the UFOV could be the result of a generalized increase in processing speed, an improved ability to switch attention, or improved inhibitory mechanisms. An individual differences approach will be used to determine why training is effective for different people, the specificity of improvements across sensory modalities, and the relationship of improved attentional function to higher cognitive skills such as working memory. 2) Measuring functional visual abilities in the clinic is becoming increasingly important in geriatric optometry because of the concern for predicting which older patients are at risk for functional problems in everyday activities. Previous work has shown that individuals with identical visual sensitivities can have dramatically different abilities on measures such as the UFOV, which is predictive of driving problems. Studies will further explore the contribution of visual function to higher order visual information processing levels by systematically evaluating the impact of degraded visual input on higher level tasks, such as the UFOV, within individuals of known attentional and cognitive ability. This will allow a determination of the interactions between visual function, attention, and overall mental status on functional performance measures. 3) Further studies will be carried out to explore the relationship between sensory and cognitive processes and functional outcome measures such as driving and accidental injuries. We propose to evaluate specific hypotheses concerning the mechanisms underlying difficulty with specific driving tasks (such as turning left) as well as evaluating transfer of training directly to these specific maneuvers. Such studies, aimed at improving visual/cognitive performance in older adults, should further our understanding of basic visual, attentional, and cognitive processes as well as advance our knowledge of the aging process.
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| Aust, Frederik; Edwards, Jerri D (2016) Incremental validity of Useful Field of View subtests for the prediction of instrumental activities of daily living. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 38:497-515 |
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| Edwards, Jerri D; Ruva, Christine L; O'Brien, Jennifer L et al. (2013) An examination of mediators of the transfer of cognitive speed of processing training to everyday functional performance. Psychol Aging 28:314-21 |
| Chen, Tuo Yu; Peronto, Carol L; Edwards, Jerri D (2012) Cognitive function as a prospective predictor of falls. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 67:720-8 |
| Ackerman, Michelle L; Vance, David E; Wadley, Virginia G et al. (2010) Indicators of Self-rated Driving across 3 Years among a Community-based Sample of Older Adults. Transp Res Part F Traffic Psychol Behav 13:307-314 |
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