Basic Demographic and Prevalence of Visual Function and Skill-Related Problems in Mild to Moderate Dementia Seen in a Memory Clinic in Kolkata

Abstract

Purpose: - Dementia is a progressive syndrome that affects the cognitive process, memory, and daily living skills which affects the overall quality of life. This study tried to find out the prevalence of eye problems in older age with different types of dementia, occupations,  and different systemic diseases.

Materials and methods: - A total of 82 dementia patients aged between 50-80 years were selected depending on the clinical diagnosis of the neurologist, from a memory clinic in Kolkata, for a comprehensive eye examination, with more stress on high and low contrast visual acuity, depth perception.

Findings: The study comprised 82 dementia (59 male and 23 female) and 47 control (27 male and 20 female)patients. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)confirmed a significant difference (<0.001) between dementia and the control group regarding refractive error, the need for new spectacle, and visual and functional deficits.

Limitation: - Limitations include a small sample size, exclusion of severe dementia and a single data collection center.

Contribution of the study: - This study contributes to understanding visual function and skill-related problems in dementia, potentially helping optometrists improve diagnosis and management for this specific group of patients. These issues may also help in understanding the role of visual pathways in the genesis & course of dementia.