An Israeli study found that elderly people who used reading glasses consistently performed better on cognitive tests than those who did not use visual aids. The study of 190 people aged 75-91 showed those using reading glasses scored better, and the researcher notes reading glasses are inexpensive versus surgery or expenses. The connection between vision and cognition is still being explored, but one explanation is that elderly people with poor vision engage in less mental and physical activity due to inability to see well.

1. Day to D
StudyLinks Reading
Glassesto Cognition
In Elderly
Readingglassescan improve
mentalacuityin the elderly,accord-
ingto study carriedout by an
Israeli researcher.Haaretz reports.
Testsdoneat SouraskyMedical
Center (betterknownas Ichilov)
showedthat elderlypeoplewho
need readingglassesand use them
consistentlyperformedbetter
than theirpeers who did not resort
to visualaid,says ophthalmologist
Dr, Oriel Spierer.
The resultscould have far-
reachingimpacton the qualityof
lifefor the elderlywithouthavingto
resortto surgeryand expense:“How
muchdo readingglassescost?
They’redirt cheap,”Spierersaid.
The tests were carriedout on
190 elderlypeopleaged75 and
over (the oldestwas 91) who had
tested negativefor dementia
or Alzheimer'sdisease,which
would have also impairedtheir
cognition, irrespectiveof how
well they couldsee.
It was the first studyof its kind
donein Israel,
“We knew that peoplewith
better visual acuitywould have
better cognitionin far vision.Now
we have demonstratedthis with
close-upvision;'Spierersaid.
The connection between
visionand cognitionremainsto
be explained.
"Onepossibleexplanationofthe
findingsis thatan elderlyperson
who doesn’tsee well engagesless
in physicaland mental activity.He
utilizesIns brainlessin activities
like reading,walkingaroundand
so on. becausehe simplycan'tsee
well, whichin and of itselfcan
leadto deteriorationof mental
functioning.'’Spierer suggested.
The studyaddsto othersdone
elsewherein the world, which
showedthat surgical correction
of cataractscan improve
cognitive functioningin the
elderlytoo, Spierernoted.