Association between visual impairment and cognitive disorders in low-and-middle income countries: a systematic review

Gbessemehlan, Antoine; Guerchet, Maëlenn; Helmer, Catherine; Delcourt, Cécile; Houinato, Dismand Stéphan; Preux, Pierre‐Marie

doi:10.1080/13607863.2020.1808878

Cited by 13 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The underlying mechanisms of the association between VI and frailty remain to be clarified [10]. Several consequences (nonexclusive) of VI such as depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders, loneliness, physical inactivity, and falls are risk factors for frailty [2,[25][26][27][28]. Therefore, people who are visually impaired, especially those with low cognitive performance, are more likely to have at least one of these comorbidities.…”

Section: Discussion/conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the number of older people with this sensory impairment is expected to increase over time due to the ongoing demographic transition, the consequences of this impairment are likely to increase as well in this population [1]. Several studies have shown that VI is associated with the occurrence of multiple negative health outcomes such as cognitive disorders [2,3], disability [4], and poor quality of life [5] in older people. Using objective or subjective (self-reported) assessment methods of VI, evidence shows that older people with VI are up to 3-fold more likely to experience pre-frailty and/ or frailty or to develop it over time [6][7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Self-Reported Vision Impairment and Frailty among Older People with Low Cognitive Performance in Central Africa: EPIDEMCA Population-Based Study

Gbessemehlan

Kehoua

Helmer

et al. 2021

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Very little is known about the impact of vision impairment (VI) on physical health in late-life in sub-Saharan Africa populations, whereas many older people experience it. We investigated the association between self-reported VI and frailty in Central African older people with low cognitive performance. Methods: It was cross-sectional analysis of data from the Epidemiology of Dementia in Central Africa (EPIDEMCA) population-based study. After screening for cognitive impairment, older people with low cognitive performance were selected. Frailty was assessed using the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture index. Participants who met one of the 3 parameters assessed (unintentional weight loss, inability to do 5 chair stands, and low energy level) were considered as pre-frail, and those who met 2 or more parameters were considered as frail. VI was self-reported. Associations were investigated using multinomial logistic regression models. Results: Out of 2,002 older people enrolled in EPIDEMCA, 775 (38.7%) had low cognitive performance on the screening test. Of them, 514 participants (sex ratio: 0.25) had available data on VI and frailty and were included in the analyses. In total, 360 (70%) self-reported VI. Prevalence of frailty was estimated at 64.9% [95% confidence interval: 60.9%–69.1%] and 23.7% [95% CI: 20.1%–27.4%] for pre-frailty. After full adjustment, self-reported VI was associated with frailty (adjusted odds ratio = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1–4.3) but not with pre-frailty (adjusted odds ratio = 1.8; 95% CI: 0.9–3.7). Conclusion: In Central African older people with low cognitive performance, those who self-reported VI were more likely to experience frailty. Our findings suggest that greater attention should be devoted to VI among this vulnerable population in order to identify early frailty onset and provide adequate care management.

show abstract

Section: Discussion/conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Reported Vision Impairment and Frailty among Older People with Low Cognitive Performance in Central Africa: EPIDEMCA Population-Based Study

Gbessemehlan

Kehoua

Helmer

et al. 2021

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A recent systematic review identified only 8 published studies on the association of vision with cognition or dementia in LMICs [17]. Of these, 5 employed objective measures of visual function (e.g., a vision chart), 2 relied on self-reported visual difficulty, and 1 did not report its methodology.…”

Section: Discussion/conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, access to health services, ongoing epidemiologic transitions, and variation in the causes of vision loss and cognitive decline between settings may impact the vision-cognition relationship. A recently published systematic review identified only 8 published studies that have examined this association in LMICs globally and the only one from India relied on self-reported, rather than objectively measured, visual function [17]. Moreover, only one of these 8 studies reported associations with VI and specific domains of cognitive functioning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Association of Cognitive and Visual Function in a Nationally Representative Study of Older Adults in India

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Due to population aging, India is poised to experience a large increase in the burden of both dementia and vision impairment (VI). Prior studies from other settings suggest that VI may be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. However, to date, no studies have examined the association of impaired visual acuity and cognition in India. Methods: A total of 3,784 participants in wave 1 of the population-based Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India underwent visual acuity testing and a cognitive test battery. Multivariable linear regression was used to model the cross-sectional associations of mild (<6/12–6/16), moderate (<6/18–6/60), and severe visual acuity impairment/blindness (<6/60) with cognitive performance scores corresponding to total cognition, orientation, memory, language/fluency, executive function, and informant-reported cognitive status. Models were adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Results: The weighted percentage of participants with any VI was 52.6%. VI was independently associated with lower cognitive scores across all domains, even after adjustment for known dementia risk factors. In fully adjusted models of total cognition (mean score: 130.7), mild, moderate, and severe VI/blindness were associated with a significant change of −3.5 (95% CI: −6.3, −0.6), −8.2 (95% CI −10.5, −5.6), and −16.8 (95% CI −22.3, −11.3) units, respectively. A dose-response association between level of VI and cognitive function was observed for all cognitive outcomes except for language/fluency domain scores. Associations were robust when cognitive tests dependent on visual function were excluded. Across each fully adjusted model of total, domain-specific, and informant-reported cognitive performance, moderate VI was equivalent to 5–9 years of cognitive aging. Discussion/Conclusion: This study illustrates that VI is cross-sectionally associated with lower cognitive performance, largely in a dose-response pattern, across various cognitive domains in the Indian population. These findings are important for informing future longitudinal and interventional studies.

show abstract

“…It is known that people with low levels of physical activity show a higher risk of depression and anxiety [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. It is also known that people with disability (e.g., vision or hearing impairment) also show higher risk of depression [ 7 ], cognitive impairment, dementia [ 8 , 9 ] and perceived discrimination [ 10 ]. In addition, it is known that women have a higher risk of mental-health conditions [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in the Association between Physical Inactivity and Mental-Health Conditions in People with Vision or Hearing Impairment

Sánchez

Smith

López‐Bueno

et al. 2022

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed to examine associations between physical inactivity and mental health in Spanish adults with vision or hearing difficulties and explored differences between men and women. Data from the Spanish National Health Survey in 2017 were analyzed (n = 23,089 adults, 15–103 years, mean age 53.4 ± 18.9 years, 45.9% men). Physical inactivity (exposure) was evaluated with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Participants self-reported whether they had previously suffered from depression, chronic anxiety and other mental-health complications (outcomes). Associations between physical inactivity and mental-health complications were assessed with multivariable logistic regression in people with difficulty seeing and hearing, after grouping by gender and adjusting for age, body-mass index, education level, living as a couple, smoking and alcohol consumption. The overall multivariable logistic-regression analyses showed that women with vision impairment showed significant associations between physical inactivity and depression (OR 1.403, 95% CI 1.015–1.940) and other mental-health complications (OR 2.959, 95% CI 1.434–6.104). In the overall analyses, there were no significant associations in men and in people with hearing impairment. The age-stratified analyses showed that inactive people with visual impairment who were <65 years old had a higher risk of mental-health conditions. In conclusion, physical activity has been shown to be important in the prevention of mental-health complications. Healthcare practitioners and policy makers should look at appropriate strategies to increase levels of physical activity in people with vision loss, especially in women and in those <65 years old.

show abstract

Association between visual impairment and cognitive disorders in low-and-middle income countries: a systematic review

Cited by 13 publications

References 38 publications

Self-Reported Vision Impairment and Frailty among Older People with Low Cognitive Performance in Central Africa: EPIDEMCA Population-Based Study

Self-Reported Vision Impairment and Frailty among Older People with Low Cognitive Performance in Central Africa: EPIDEMCA Population-Based Study

The Association of Cognitive and Visual Function in a Nationally Representative Study of Older Adults in India

Gender Differences in the Association between Physical Inactivity and Mental-Health Conditions in People with Vision or Hearing Impairment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About