title: Impact of simulated visual impairment on the cognitive test performance of young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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) 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. j.wood@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaparro
authors.forename: Kaarin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Anstey
authors.forename: Y Eve
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Hsing
authors.forename: Alexia K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Johnsson
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wainwright
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult