Role of cognitive function in the reliability and results of standard automated perimetry

PurposeTo investigate the association between cognitive function and the results and reliability of standard automated perimetry (SAP) in a middle-aged birth cohort.MethodsIn this cross-sectional analysis of the prospective birth cohort, the reliability and performance of SAP were evaluated in relation to grade point average (GPA), educational attainment, and scores on the Paired Associates Learning (PAL) test among participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort Eye Study.ResultsHigher educational level, higher GPA, and fewer errors on the PAL test were consistently associated with better reliability and performance in SAP. However, the observed correlation coefficients were low, and differences between group comparisons were modest, accounting for only a small proportion of the variance in SAP outcomes.ConclusionWhile greater cognitive ability is positively associated with SAP performance and reliability, its impact is minimal and unlikely to be clinically significant. Further studies are warranted to determine whether higher cognitive function facilitates glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring through more reliable SAP results, or conversely, whether it may obscure glaucomatous damage by enhancing test performance beyond what is typical.