title: Critical Flicker Fusion Predicts Executive Function in Younger and Older Adults.
abstract: Critical flicker fusion (CFF), a measure of visual processing speed, has often been regarded as a basic metric underlying a number of higher cognitive functions. To test this, we measured CFF, global cognition, and several cognitive subdomains. Because age is a strong covariate for most of these variables, both younger (n = 72) and older (n = 57) subjects were measured. Consistent with expectations, age was inversely related to CFF and performance on all of the cognitive measures except for visual memory. In contrast, age-adjusted CFF thresholds were only positively related to executive function. Results showed that CFF predicted executive function across both age groups and accounted for unique variance in performance above and beyond age and global cognitive status. The current findings suggest that CFF may be a unique predictor of executive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mewborn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Renzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Billy R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA Bio-Imaging Research Center, Paul C. Coverdell Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA lsmiller@uga.edu.
authors.forename: L Stephen
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005425:Flicker Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Assessment; CFF; Critical flicker fusion; Elderly/geriatrics/aging; Executive functions