HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Broman, A. T. Articles by Turano, K. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Broman, A. T. Articles by Turano, K. A.

Divided Visual Attention as a Predictor of Bumping while Walking: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation

¹From the Departments of Ophthalmology and ²Biostatistics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and the ³Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between bumping while walking and divided visual attention, as measured by the useful field of view (UFOV).

METHODS. The Salisbury Eye Evaluation is a population-based study of community-dwelling adults, aged 72 to 92 at the third round of data collection. Participants walked a circuitous 32.8-m course, seeded with obstacles, and the number of bumps made while traversing the course was counted. UFOV divided attention score was based on processing speed: the time taken to identify a central target, and the location of a peripheral target simultaneously. Association between number of bumps and UFOV score was assessed in a generalized linear model, with adjustment for vision and attention measures that might explain the UFOV score.

RESULTS. Of the 1504 participants in this study, 10.1% did not attempt the mobility course. In a model adjusting for demographic, physical, cognitive and attention, and vision measures, a decrease of 50 ms in processing speed for the divided-attention task was associated with a 4.9% increase (P = 0.004) in number of bumps made over the course. Receiver operating characteristic curves were created for the UFOV and visual field tests, to determine accuracy in detecting those with a high number of bumps. The visual field test had slightly higher area under the curve, but positive predictive value for both tests was low.

CONCLUSIONS. The UFOV test of divided attention, as measured by processing speed, independently predicted bumping while walking. These data suggest that poor visual attention is a significant risk factor for bumping while walking.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. E. Hassan, K. A. Turano, B. Munoz, C. Munro, K. B. Roche, and S. K. West Cognitive and Vision Loss Affects the Topography of the Attentional Visual Field Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., October 1, 2008; 49(10): 4672 - 4678. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. L. Lamoreux, E. Chong, J. J. Wang, S. M. Saw, T. Aung, P. Mitchell, and T. Y. Wong Visual Impairment, Causes of Vision Loss, and Falls: The Singapore Malay Eye Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., February 1, 2008; 49(2): 528 - 533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Freeman, B. Munoz, G. Rubin, and S. K. West Visual Field Loss Increases the Risk of Falls in Older Adults: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., October 1, 2007; 48(10): 4445 - 4450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. R. Geruschat and K. A. Turano Estimating the Amount of Mental Effort Required for Independent Mobility: Persons with Glaucoma Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2007; 48(9): 3988 - 3994. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Patel, K. A. Turano, A. T. Broman, K. Bandeen-Roche, B. Munoz, and S. K. West Measures of Visual Function and Percentage of Preferred Walking Speed in Older Adults: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Project Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2006; 47(1): 65 - 71. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]