The bidirectional relationship between subjective visual function and domain-specific cognition in cognitively unimpaired older adults and adults with mild cognitive impairment

Abigail Dubois; Jordan Sergio; Sima Mozdbar; Ashley Price; Megan Stradtman; Louisa I Thompson; Peter J Snyder; Jessica Alber

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2024.1465812

The bidirectional relationship between subjective visual function and domain-specific cognition in cognitively unimpaired older adults and adults with mild cognitive impairment

Front Aging Neurosci. 2024 Nov 29:16:1465812. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1465812. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Abigail Dubois¹, Jordan Sergio^{1

2}, Sima Mozdbar³, Ashley Price^{2

4}, Megan Stradtman^{4

5}, Louisa I Thompson^{4

5}, Peter J Snyder^{1

2}, Jessica Alber^{1

2

4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States.
² Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States.
³ Burnett School of Medicine, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, United States.
⁴ Butler Hospital Memory and Aging Program, Providence, RI, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
⁶ George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: Subjective visual impairment (VI) is related to cognition in cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The utility of subjective VI as an indicator for domain-specific cognitive impairment is unknown.

Methods: We used the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25 item) and a neuropsychological battery to assess the relationship between subjective VI and domain-specific cognitive performance in CU older adults (N = 58) and MCI patients (N = 16).

Results: The CU group showed a positive relationship between subjective VI and visuospatial performance. CU older adults at high risk for AD demonstrated a unique relationship between subjective VI and attention, processing speed, and executive function. Peripheral vision was related to domain-specific performance in the patient group.

Discussion: Subjective VI complaints may indicate potential for domain-specific cognitive decline in visuospatial performance, executive function, processing speed, and attention in older adults.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; aging; domain-specific cognition; mild cognitive impairment; preclinical Alzheimer’s disease; visual function.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Morton Plant Mease Foundation to PJS and the National Institutes on Aging to JA (1R01AG079241).