| |
Abstract:
The aim of this investigation was to determine how measures
of cognitive processing in neurologically normal subjects are
affected by various health and lifestyle components. In effect, the
goal of the study was to form a basis for interpreting the added
effects of neurological disease on cognitve funtioning, above and
beyond the influence of health and lifestyle variables. A
questionnaire was given to assess medical factors (e.g.
hypertension), drug and alcohol use, and sleep patterns. The
cognitive measures included those of auditory and visual memory,
attention, and components of response speed (motor, perceptual and
cognitive). In multiple regression analyses, using the
questionnaire responses as predictors, perceptual speed and motor
speed were not significantly affected by the aforementioned health
and lifestyle variables. Deficits in visual perception,
discrimination, and memory were predicted by a history of
alcoholism, learning disability, severe fatigue, depression and
time of awakening on the morning of testing. These results suggest
that a meaningful proportion of between-subject variation in the
cognitive performance of neurologically normal subjects can be
accounted for by differences in health history and current
lifestyle.
|
