Lindenberger and Baltes examined the relationship between age, sensory functioning (visual and auditory acuity), and intelligence in a sample of 156 individuals aged 70–103 years. Intelligence was measured using 14 tests assessing five cognitive abilities. Visual and auditory acuity accounted for 49.2% of total and 93.1% of age-related variance in intelligence. The results supported a structural model where age differences in intelligence are mediated by sensory differences. Sensory functioning was identified as a strong predictor of intellectual functioning in old age, possibly due to its reflection of brain physiological integrity. The study aimed to explore the role of auditory and visual functioning in cognitive aging, focusing on the very old. The Berlin Aging Study (BASE) provided a heterogeneous sample of older adults, allowing for the examination of sensory and cognitive functioning. Theoretical considerations included the "explanatory continuity versus discontinuity" in cognitive aging, with the common cause hypothesis suggesting that sensory and cognitive functions share a common neural basis. The sensory deprivation hypothesis proposed that reduced sensory stimulation in old age could lead to cognitive decline, while the common cause hypothesis suggested that both sensory and cognitive functions are expressions of the brain's physiological architecture. Both hypotheses predicted increasing correlations between sensory functioning and intelligence with age. The study found that sensory functioning, particularly visual and auditory acuity, significantly predicted variance in intellectual functioning. Visual and auditory acuity were strongly correlated with cognitive performance, with visual acuity showing a stronger relationship. The results indicated that sensory functioning is a major predictor of individual differences in intellectual functioning in old age, with sensory and cognitive functions sharing a common neural basis. The study also examined the predictive power of balance-gait, general somatic health, and education on intellectual functioning. Balance-gait was the most powerful predictor, sharing a large portion of its predictive variance with visual and auditory acuity. General somatic health had less predictive power and was largely shared with other predictors. Education had a moderate effect, with a portion of its predictive variance being independent of other factors. The study found that the relationship between sensory functioning and intellectual functioning was consistent across age groups and genders. Excluding individuals with dementia or severe sensory impairments did not significantly alter the findings, indicating that the relationship was not due to a large number of severely impaired individuals. The results support the common cause hypothesis, suggesting that sensory and cognitive functions are closely related through shared neural mechanisms.Lindenberger and Baltes examined the relationship between age, sensory functioning (visual and auditory acuity), and intelligence in a sample of 156 individuals aged 70–103 years. Intelligence was measured using 14 tests assessing five cognitive abilities. Visual and auditory acuity accounted for 49.2% of total and 93.1% of age-related variance in intelligence. The results supported a structural model where age differences in intelligence are mediated by sensory differences. Sensory functioning was identified as a strong predictor of intellectual functioning in old age, possibly due to its reflection of brain physiological integrity. The study aimed to explore the role of auditory and visual functioning in cognitive aging, focusing on the very old. The Berlin Aging Study (BASE) provided a heterogeneous sample of older adults, allowing for the examination of sensory and cognitive functioning. Theoretical considerations included the "explanatory continuity versus discontinuity" in cognitive aging, with the common cause hypothesis suggesting that sensory and cognitive functions share a common neural basis. The sensory deprivation hypothesis proposed that reduced sensory stimulation in old age could lead to cognitive decline, while the common cause hypothesis suggested that both sensory and cognitive functions are expressions of the brain's physiological architecture. Both hypotheses predicted increasing correlations between sensory functioning and intelligence with age. The study found that sensory functioning, particularly visual and auditory acuity, significantly predicted variance in intellectual functioning. Visual and auditory acuity were strongly correlated with cognitive performance, with visual acuity showing a stronger relationship. The results indicated that sensory functioning is a major predictor of individual differences in intellectual functioning in old age, with sensory and cognitive functions sharing a common neural basis. The study also examined the predictive power of balance-gait, general somatic health, and education on intellectual functioning. Balance-gait was the most powerful predictor, sharing a large portion of its predictive variance with visual and auditory acuity. General somatic health had less predictive power and was largely shared with other predictors. Education had a moderate effect, with a portion of its predictive variance being independent of other factors. The study found that the relationship between sensory functioning and intellectual functioning was consistent across age groups and genders. Excluding individuals with dementia or severe sensory impairments did not significantly alter the findings, indicating that the relationship was not due to a large number of severely impaired individuals. The results support the common cause hypothesis, suggesting that sensory and cognitive functions are closely related through shared neural mechanisms.