# Vision Loss and Cognition: Testing the sensory consequence hypothesis

> **NIH NIH K01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $145,208

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This is an application for a K01 Research Career Development Award. The goal of the proposed project is to
provide the candidate with advanced skills needed to establish an independent research program examining
the relationship between vision loss and cognitive decline in older individuals. To facilitate this long-term goal
the candidate will: (1) characterize the longitudinal relationship between objective measures of visual function
and cognition in older adults, (2) determine the relationship between vision loss and brain volume and cortical
thickness in older adults, and the role brain volume and thickness may play in the vision-cognition relationship,
and (3) assess the association between vision loss and participation in cognitively stimulating activities,
exploring this participation as a mediator of the vision-cognition relationship. The candidate proposes a
comprehensive training plan, combining formal coursework, meetings and tutorials overseen by her mentors,
participation in applied training experiences, and involvement in seminars and workshops. Specific training
goals include: (1) receive training in the neuropsychological and clinical assessment of older individuals, (2)
develop neuroimaging analyses skills, (3) receive training in the neuroscience of vision, (4) gain advanced
knowledge of mediation and experimental study design and analyses, and (5) continued training in the
responsible conduct of research. The training plan will be executed in coordination with the set of research
activities, mentioned above, that are based on preliminary data collected by the applicant. The preliminary data
show that reduced visual functioning is associated cross-sectionally with: (1) lower executive function, memory,
and language test scores, and (2) reduced gray and white matter volumes, in the visual cortex and frontal
lobes. The candidate will expand on these findings, using longitudinal data from participants in the Baltimore
Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA) who are 60 years and older. The aim of the project is to test the `sensory
loss consequence hypothesis', using a multi-domain approach to examine the vision-cognition relationship.
The primary hypotheses to be examined are that: (1) reduced visual function is associated with greater
declines in executive function, memory, and language test scores, and an increased risk of incident dementia,
(2) reduced visual function is associated with reduced brain volume and thickness in regions of interest within
the frontal cortex and visual pathways, which mediate the vision-cognition relationship, and (3) age-related
vision loss is associated with a reduction in the frequency and variety of participation in cognitively stimulating
activities, which also influences the vision-cognition relationship in older adults. Results from this research will
be used to develop a subsequent R01 research proposal that will facilitate the candidate's transition to an
independent researcher.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9902272
- **Project number:** 5K01AG052640-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** BONNIELIN SWENOR
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $145,208
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-03-01 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9902272

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9902272, Vision Loss and Cognition: Testing the sensory consequence hypothesis (5K01AG052640-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9902272. Licensed CC0.

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