Visual Impairment as it Relates to Cognitive Decline in Late Adulthood: An Extended Review of the Literature

<p dir="ltr">The relationship between cognitive decline and visual impairment is a relatively new area</p><p dir="ltr">of research, highlighting the potential significance of vision in assessing cognitive impairment.</p><p dir="ltr">This literature review examined studies conducted in the United States and Canada investigating</p><p dir="ltr">the association between cognitive decline and visual impairment (VI) in late adulthood, ages 65</p><p dir="ltr">and older. Six studies include no history or diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease (Aubin et al.,</p><p dir="ltr">2023 ; Runk et al., 2023; Spierer et al., 2016; Swenor et al., 2018; Varadaraj et al., 2021; Zheng</p><p dir="ltr">et al., 2018), and three studies include a history or diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease (Chen</p><p dir="ltr">et al., 2021; Ehrlich et al., 2021; Killeen et al., 2023). The purpose of this is to compare the</p><p dir="ltr">impact of VI on cognitive function under both domains. By analyzing various studies, including</p><p dir="ltr">those using cross-sectional, retrospective, and longitudinal methods, this review aims to interpret</p><p dir="ltr">associations between visual and cognitive function. Findings indicate that visual acuity (VA) and</p><p dir="ltr">contrast sensitivity are integral parts influencing cognitive health (Aubin et al., 2023; Swenor et</p><p dir="ltr">al., 2018; Varadaraj et al., 2021). Furthermore, the bidirectional relationship between VI and</p><p dir="ltr">dementia suggests that early identification and intervention for VI may be significant in</p><p dir="ltr">mitigating cognitive worsening (Chen et al., 2021), underscoring the importance of</p><p dir="ltr">comprehensive visual assessments in late adulthood.</p>