Words on the Brain: Can Reading Rehabilitation for Age-Related Vision Impairment Improve Cognitive Functioning?

Summary

Age-related vision impairment and dementia both become more prevalent with increasing age. Research into the mechanisms of these conditions has proposed that some of their causes (e.g., macular degeneration/glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease) could be symptoms of an underlying common cause, or may be equally linked to a multifactorial context in frailty and aging. Research into sensory-cognitive aging has provided preliminary data that sensory decline may be linked to the progression of dementia through the concept of sensory deprivation. Preliminary data in hearing loss rehabilitation support the idea that improved hearing may have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning; however, there are to date no data available to examine whether low vision rehabilitation, specifically for reading, could have an equally protective or beneficial effect on cognitive health. The present proposal aims to fill this gap.

Conditions

• Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Dementia
• Low Vision
• Low Vision Aids
• Hearing Loss
• Reading Problem
• Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Low Vision Reading Rehabilitation

Following Time 1, participants will receive the full complement of vision rehabilitation services available and deemed suitable by their clinical staff and rehabilitation professionals of either rehabilitation centre, according to the provision of assistive devices and services regulated by the Quebec Health Insurance (RAMQ). These services are include but are not limited to: a full optometric exam to determine functional vision, including refraction and the prescription of appropriate near and distance glasses and optical devices, an assessment by a low vision therapist and/or occupational therapist, the loan provision of hand-held optical magnification devices, electronic non-optical magnification devices (e.g., portable or table-top closed-circuit televisions), or computer software for screen content magnification (e.g., ZoomText), with appropriate training and follow-up sessions in the home, if required.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Université de Montréal

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Walter Wittich, PhD · Université de Montréal

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-05-16

Primary Completion

2023-03-28

Completion

2023-03-28

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations