A-10 Role of Fluid Cognitive Status in the Association of Frontoparietal Control and Cingulo-Opercular Networks with the Useful Field of View Task: Implications for Cognitive Training in Aging

Objective Training in a divided attention/speed-of-processing task called Useful Field of View (UFOV) reduced dementia risk in older adults. Higher connectivity in resting-state networks involved in attention/inter-network modulation (cingulo-opercular network(CON); frontoparietal control network(FPCN)) relates to better UFOV performance. Cognitive status relates to CON connectivity and UFOV performance. Therefore, it may be an important third variable to consider. This study assessed the mediation of cognitive status on the relationship between CON/FPCN connectivity and UFOV performance. Methods 266 healthy older adults (age M = 71.4, SD = 5.18; 92% Caucasian) were recruited through a clinical trial at the University of Florida and the University of Arizona. Cognitive status was defined by the NIH Toolbox Fluid Composite score, assessing processing speed, attention/inhibition, executive functioning, and working/episodic memory. UFOV via the Double Decision assessment was administered. Participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Average within-network connectivity of CON and FPCN were extracted with the CONN Toolboxv18b via SPM12. Mediation of cognitive status on the relationship between CON/FPCN connectivity and UFOV performance was assessed controlling for sex, age, education, and site. Results Cognitive status fully mediated the indirect effect of CON on UFOV [b = −0.1776; 95%CI (−0.3194, −0.0684)] Figure 1, and FPCN on UFOV [b = −0.1461; 95%CI (−0.2934, −0.0342)] Figure 2. Conclusions Cognitive status accounted in part for the association between CON/FPCN connectivity and UFOV performance. Older adults with higher cognitive status had stronger functional connectivity and better UFOV performance. Future research should explore the influence of cognitive status on functional connectivity after UFOV training, and investigate which cognitive domains are most influential.

USEFUL FIELD OF VIEW AND DRIVING SIMULATION ACROSS TWO AGE GROUPS

The Insurance Information Institute (2017) reports that drivers aged 65 and older have the second highest rate of fatal car crashes. Research with the useful field of view (UFOV) assessment has predicted crashes in older drivers (Ball, 2006). “UFOV is defined as the area from which an individual can extract information quickly without head or eye movement” (Posit Science, 2019). Research demonstrates that older drivers are limited by poorer vision, divided attention and the inability to ignore distractions, and slower reaction time to critical stimuli (Owsley et al. 1998). As a result UFOV is an effective variable in assessing driver safety. We hypothesized that older compared to younger drivers would be less likely to inhibit attention to task irrelevant visual stimuli while engaged in a simulated driving task. Participants were community dwelling older adults and students recruited from a research pool and through word of mouth. Participants completed a series of demographic and health questions, Snellen visual acuity test a series of cognitive measures (e. g., Trails 1 and 2, digit symbol, digit span) and the UFOV assessment. Participants completed a driving simulation task while information on driving performance: number of collisions, speed limit deviations, turn signal use, time spent tailgating another vehicle, and braking reaction times. ANOVA demonstrated that as hypothesized, younger participants had significantly lower UFOV risk scores (p = .000). Older adults’ (M = 2.15, SD = .945) and younger adults’ (M = 1, SD = 0).

A video review of cognitive factors contributing to concussive impacts in sport

ObjectiveTo explore cognitive factors contributing to concussive impacts in athletes.BackgroundCognitive training programs are becoming an increasingly popular strategy for improving athletic performance. Such programs may have potential to decrease athletes’ concussion risk by improving athletes’ ability to avoid and appropriately react to imminent impacts in the athletic environment. Understanding what cognitive factors contribute to concussive impacts may provide insight into the most appropriate cognitive training regimens for concussion risk reduction.Design/MethodsYouTube videos depicting 100 concussive impacts in athletes were identified via Google video search. Two reviewers independently classified the primary cognitive factor contributing to each impact as one of the following: useful field of view (UFOV, unanticipated/unrecognized impacts coming from outside the athlete’s field of view), field dependence (FD, unanticipated/unrecognized impacts resulting from the athlete’s attention being so focused on an athletic task that the pending impact was not recognized), processing speed (PS, anticipated/recognized impacts occurring too quickly for the athlete to complete an evasive or protective maneuver), or motion perception (MP, anticipated/recognized impacts occurring with sufficient time to respond but associated with a poorly planned or implemented motor response). Descriptive statistics were calculated.Results98 videos were reviewed to yield 100 concussive impacts. 98% of the concussed athletes were males. Concussions occurred during American football (53%), ice hockey (29%), soccer (3%), basketball (3%), as well as 9 other sports (12%). The most commonly contributing cognitive factor was MP (32%), followed by FD (30%), UFOV (23%), and PS (15%).ConclusionsMultiple cognitive factors contribute to concussive impacts in athletes, with MP and FD being the most common in our sample. Cognitive training programs intending to reduce concussion risk in athletes should not focus only on one cognitive factor. Future work should also explore differences between sports and positions.