Evaluation of Visual Signs and Symptoms in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Patients with Alzheimer's disease have impaired visual function even in the early stages of the disease. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the visual signs and symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease and compare them with those in the control group.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 19 Alzheimer patients and 19 cognitively healthy people referring to Farshchian Sina Hospital, Hamadan in 2020-2021. They underwent visual examinations, including visual acuity, slit lamp exam, fundoscopy,contrast sensitivity assessed by CVS-1000 test, color perception test, investigating eye movements, and pupillary light reflex. Moreover,  OCT images were taken from all patients and the control group to measure macular thickness and volume. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using X2 statistical test.

A significant reduction in visual acuity (P=0.006 for the right eye and P=0.003 for left eye), contrast sensitivity (P˂ 0.001), impaired color vision (P=0.016), increased cup to disk ratio (P˂0.001 for both eyes), reduction in temporal vascular diameter of both eyes (P˂0.001), disturbed movement (P=0.001), and sluggish pupillary light reflex (P˂0.001) were observed in patients with Alzheimer disease. Moreover, a significant reduction was detected in macular thickness and volume, especially in the inferior quadrant, in patients with Alzheimer's, as compared to the healthy group (P˂0.001). Nonetheless, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and pseudoexfoliation.

Patients with Alzheimer's disease have abnormal results on eye examinations.