Researchers from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have suggested that vision problems may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. By studying data from over 8,000 healthy adults, they found that a loss of visual sensitivity could predict Alzheimer’s disease 12 years before diagnosis. The study involved visual sensitivity testing, which assesses a person’s ability to detect and process visual information accurately and efficiently.
Vision issues such as difficulty reading, writing, driving, distinguishing colors, and judging distances could be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Previous research has shown that physical changes to the eyes, such as blood vessel damage, may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Some studies have also explored using retinal scans to detect the condition through the eyes, as beta-amyloid plaques, a known cause of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, have been found in the retina and lens of the eye.
Those with lower scores on the visual sensitivity test were found to have a higher risk of future dementia diagnosis. Combining visual sensitivity assessments with other neuropsychological tests may improve the accuracy of predicting dementia risk. Researchers hope to further investigate the potential of visual sensitivity tests in monitoring responses to interventions such as exercise, as well as predicting driving skills in individuals at risk for or diagnosed with dementia.
Clinical neuro-ophthalmologist Alexander Solomon notes that the results of the study are consistent with what he sees in his practice. He emphasizes the importance of the brain in processing visual information and how compromised brain function, such as in dementia, can lead to a loss of visual sensitivity. Solomon suggests correlating specific types of dementia with decreased visual sensitivity scores and verifying diagnoses with clinical assessments.
Neurologist Clifford Segil highlights the importance of addressing vision problems before assuming cognitive decline in elderly patients. He notes that issues with recognizing faces and people could sometimes be resolved with glasses or corrective surgeries. Segil suggests conducting eye exams on patients who develop dementia to rule out any eye-related issues that may have contributed to the condition. The study may help improve the accuracy of dementia risk prediction by combining visual sensitivity tests with other cognitive assessments.
