Centre for Policy on Ageing



Strength in the lower limbs, visual contrast sensitivity, and simple reaction time predict cognition in older women
Author(s)	Kaarin J Anstey, Stephen R Lord, Philippa Williams
Journal title	Psychology and Aging, vol 12, no 1, March 1997
Pages	pp 137-144
Keywords	Musculoskeletal systems ; Cognitive processes ; Biological ageing ; Mental clarity ; Mental speed ; Older women ; Performance ; Evaluation ; Australia.
Annotation	This article investigates the association between sensory-motor variables indicative of biological ageing and cognition. A community sample of 202 women ages 60-86, who had participated in the Randwick Falls and Fractures Study in Sydney, Australia, was assessed on five measures of lower limb strength, visual contrast sensitivity (VisCS), and reaction time (RT). Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that the sensory-motor variables explained age-related variance in measures of reasoning and total variance in measures of reasoning after education, health, mood, and physical activity were controlled for. The authors conclude that in addition to better known predictors of cognitive ageing, such as RT and VisCS, lower limb strength is an important predictor of performance on cognitive tests.
Accession Number	CPA-971120243 A
Classmark	BK6: DA: BH: DF: DG: BD: 5H: 4C: 7YA
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.