text_1: Maintaining healthy vision may help keep brain in shape, too
text_2: Scientists have established a relationship between clearness of vision and cognitive function in older individuals; they seem to rise or fall together. But does one cause the other? In an attempt to answer that question, a trio of researchers introduced time into the analysis, exploring the relationship between clarity of vision at time 1 and cognitive function at time 2, and vice versa, repeatedly over an 8-year period. The study does find a relationship but, given the large number of participants in the study (more than 2500), it is a modest one. Alas, that does not deter either sources in the story or the headline writer, who opt into causal statements that are far stronger than the data warrant. Maintaining cognitive capacity is a major goal for aging individuals, so anything that contributes to that objective is worth attention. If eye health indeed proves to be a substantial contributor, that will ramp up attention to diagnostic and treatment options. But such behavior awaits more robust studies, and stories about this link need to tread cautiously.