Profiling cognitive performance and sleep quality measures in patients with age-related macular degeneration

This study is aimed at profiling cognitive functions in patients with age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD). This cross-sectional investigation enrolled 45 patients with AMD and 45 age- andsex-matched controls. The overall cognitive performance in AMD sufferers versus controlsubjects was assessed using the Persian version of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examinationbattery (ACE-R). Subjects’ sleep quality was also evaluated using the Pittsburgh SleepQuality Index (PSQI). The mean global assessment and subscale scores were statisticallycompared between groups. The mean global scores for ACE-R in AMD and control groups (80.4±12.3 and86 ± 9.6, respectively) were found to be statistically different (p=0.018). On the other hand,there was no significant difference (p=0.793) between the AMD and control groups interms of PSQI scores (9.7±2.8 and 9.8±2.8, respectively). AMD patients seem to have cognitively underperformed in memoryand verbal fluency domains compared to the control group. Evidence on cognitiveimpairments in patients with AMD may possibly herald neurocognitive insufficienciesand have common pathological mechanisms with dementias.