advertisement
Studies have found a benefit to living a cognitively active life in older age. Our goal was to quantify participation in cognitively stimulating activities in adults with and without age-related eye disease. We conducted a cross-sectional hospital-based study in Montreal, Canada of older adults (n = 303) having either age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (n = 96), glaucoma (n = 93), or normal vision (n = 114). To be eligible, the AMD group had to have bilateral late stage AMD with a better eye visual acuity of 20/30 or worse. The glaucoma group had to have a diagnosis of bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma with visual field mean deviation < = -4 dB in their better eye. Further inclusion criteria included age ≥ 65 and a Mini-Mental State Exam Blind score ≥ 10. Cognitive activities were measured using the Victoria Longitudinal Study Activity Questionnaire. Linear regression was used. Patients with AMD (β = -4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.0, -2.4) and glaucoma (β = -1.8, 95% CI -3.3, -0.3) participated in fewer cognitive activities per month compared to those with normal vision after adjusting for age, sex, education, diabetes, number of comorbidities, cognition, and cataract. People with AMD and glaucoma participated in fewer cognitive activities, which could put them at risk for future cognitive impairment.
School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Full article1.4 Quality of life (Part of: 1 General aspects)
9.4.15 Glaucoma in relation to systemic disease (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders)