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Assessing the Relationship Between the Flicker Test and Cognitive Performance
by
, , and
Natalia D. Mankowska
1,*
,
Rita I. Sharma
2,
Anna B. Marcinkowska
1,3,
Jacek Kot
4 and
Pawel J. Winklewski
2,3 1
Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology and Neuroinformatics, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
2
Department of Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology and Neuroinformatics, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
3
2nd Department of Radiology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
4
National Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2025, 14(11), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14111469
Submission received: 1 October 2025
/
Revised: 19 October 2025
/
Accepted: 21 October 2025
/
Published: 22 October 2025
Simple Summary
Our study explored how a simple visual test, called the flicker test, relates to some cognitive processes in healthy adults. The flicker test measures how quickly a person can detect a light that appears to flicker on and off, which reflects brain alertness and information processing. We compared flicker test results with performance on memory and attention tasks, such as remembering sequences of numbers or blocks and responding quickly to visual cues. Our findings showed that some aspects of the flicker test vary slightly with age and gender but, overall, the results did not strongly predict cognitive performance in this healthy group. These results suggest that while the flicker test reflects certain aspects of brain function, it cannot yet replace standard cognitive tests. However, understanding how visual alertness relates to thinking may help in situations where people are exposed to demanding environments, such as diving, high-altitude work, or prolonged mental tasks. The study contributes to building knowledge about simple ways to monitor brain performance and could inform future research on maintaining cognitive function under challenging conditions.
Abstract
An individual’s ability to process flickering light is expressed by critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF), tested with the flicker test. CFFF is used to assess visual processing, arousal, and cognitive functioning, among other things, although it is unclear how it reflects these processes. Due to possible differences between CFFF values obtained in trials with increasing and decreasing frequency, it also remains questionable to use only averaged CFFF values in research. The main objective of the present study was to assess how CFFF is related to cognitive functions (attention, short-term and working memory, and executive functions), and psychomotor speed. The research objectives also included assessing the stability of CFFF and its variability with age and comparing CFFF between men and women. Thirty-six participants (17 women and 19 men) completed computerized cognitive tests (Simon and flanker tasks, the Corsi block-tapping task, and the digit span task) three times, along with the flicker test. We found that CFFF scores were stable across sessions but differed between fusion and flicker thresholds, with age significantly correlating only with the fusion frequency. Given that, we suggest that future studies analyze not only the averaged CFFF, but also examine flicker and fusion thresholds separately to better understand their distinct contributions. Our results also revealed generally weak correlations between CFFF and neuropsychological test scores, with significant associations found only in women, suggesting that CFFF may not be a reliable indicator of cognitive functioning.
