Our eyes can tell us a lot about our brain health. Problems with our eyes can be an early sign of memory loss.
In a recent study, we found that a decrease in how well we see things can predict dementia 12 years before it is diagnosed.
We studied 8,623 healthy people in Norfolk, England. By the end of the study, 537 of them had dementia. We asked them to take a visual sensitivity test at the start. Those who developed dementia were slower at seeing a triangle on a screen.
Vision issues might be an early sign of memory loss because Alzheimer’s disease can first affect the parts of the brain linked to vision. This can happen before memory problems start.
Other aspects of vision, like seeing objects clearly and distinguishing between colors, can also be affected by Alzheimer’s. People may not realize these issues.
Recognizing faces can be hard for people with dementia because they don’t look at faces the same way as others do.
Doing more eye movements might help improve memory. Watching TV and reading regularly can also help keep your memory sharp.
Vocabulary List:
- Dementia /dɪˈmɛnʃə/ (noun): A chronic disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury.
- Sensitivity /ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti/ (noun): The quality or condition of being sensitive; the ability to perceive or respond to stimuli.
- Vision /ˈvɪʒən/ (noun): The ability to see; the faculty of sight.
- Alzheimer’s /ˈæltsaɪmərz/ (noun): A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.
- Distinguishing /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃɪŋ/ (verb): Recognizing or pointing out the differences between two or more things.
- Movements /ˈmuːv.mənts/ (noun): The act of changing physical location or position.
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