Assessment of Visual Acuity in Patients with Dementia using Teller Acuity Cards

Abstract

Assessing visual acuity in adults or children at an eye exam is generally simple and has become routine procedure in clinical practice. However, depending on severity and stage of clinical evolution, elderly patients with dementia may experience difficulties performing tests of recognition, because these tests depend not only on perception, but also cognition and its response. Testing visual functions in such cases represents a challenge in clinical practice and a task that requires proper skills and methods.Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of objective measurement of visual acuity by behavioral methods using Teller acuity cards in elderly patients with dementia, diagnosed with presumed Alzheimer's disease.Methods: The visual acuity of 20 elderly patients diagnosed with presumed Alzheimer's disease and 24 controls with no cognitive impairment was assessed using the recognition method (Lea symbols) and resolution grating method (Teller acuity cards).Results: The results found for the two methods were statistically well correlated.Conclusion: An alternative method for assessing visual function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, even at early stages, is of utmost relevance not only for monitoring disease progression, but also to quantitatively determine the impact of eye treatments and determine potential visual loss, guiding optical and non-optical strategies for optimal use of residual vision.