POOR eyesight makes it harder to read and easier to trip. But it can also lead to a misdiagnosis of mild mental decline in older people, according to a new, small study.

That can happen if someone’s thinking abilities are assessed using vision-dependent tests, researchers explained.

They noted that as many as 1 in 4 people older than 50 have undiagnosed vision problems such as cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which could skew visual assessments of their mental sharpness.

AMD doesn’t cause complete vision loss but severely impairs the ability to read, drive, cook and even recognize faces. It has no effect on mental function (cognition).

Visual impairments affect about 200 million seniors worldwide, said study leader Anne Macnamara, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Australia.

“A mistaken score in cognitive tests could have devastating ramifications, leading to unnecessary changes to a person’s living, working, financial or social circumstances,” Macnamara warned in a university news release.

For example, if a mistaken score contributed to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, it could trigger psychological problems including depression and anxiety, Macnamara explained.

This study included 24 participants with normal vision who were asked to complete two cognitive tests, one dependent on vision and one dependent on verbal skills. They did the tests with and without goggles to simulate AMD.

(SD-Agencies)