How does visual perception change for people with cognitive decline? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background Visual impairment and its associated functional limitations are a common experience of people living with cognitive decline; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive impairment is a vital step in developing effective sensory testing and intervention. Objective The current study is a scoping review of the literature investigating the association between visual changes and cognitive decline or dementia, and how this relates to functional difficulties. Design Online databases were searched to highlight relevant research from 2015-August 2022, of which we included 30 items in our final sample. Results The existing literature implicates visual impairment as a risk factor for cognitive decline, with 24 of the 30 studies reporting an association between visual impairment and cognitive decline. Conclusions Most of the studies found an association between visual impairment and cognitive decline, dementia, mild cognitive impairment or cognitive impairment-no dementia. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms of action underpinning this relationship, including multiple measures of vision across various cognitive domains.