HHS HealthBeat (August 15, 2006)

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Don't assume it's the mind getting weak that makes older people seem like they're less smart. A study finds that, if college students had the vision problems seniors have, the students would look less smart.

"Cleve" Gilmore of Case Western Reserve checked the abilities of students and older people to remember and look for symbols. Some students got papers with printing that made the symbols fuzzy:

"The fuzzing of the symbols was an age simulation. And we found that young adults confronted with this `older' version of the test actually performed more like older adults." (10 seconds)

Gilmore says seniors should keep their lights bright, use large print – and not assume their minds are clouded, because it might only be their sight.

The study in Psychology and Aging was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.