Computerized attention training for visually impaired older adults with dementia: a case study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Dementia impairs higher cortical functions, and visual impairment can exacerbate cognitive decline.
• Older adults with both dementia and visual impairment present unique challenges for cognitive assessment and intervention.

Observation:

• A 98-year-old woman with bilateral maculopathy and moderate dementia participated in a computerized attention training program.
• The intervention involved 8 sessions of 45-minute computerized training, with pre- and post-assessments.

Findings:

• The participant demonstrated a decrease in verbal learning scores (Cantonese version of the Verbal Learning Test) but showed improvements in specific attention and processing speed parameters (Test of Attentional Performance).
• This suggests that computerized training can positively impact certain cognitive domains even in individuals with significant visual impairment and dementia.

Implications:

• Computerized attention training may be a viable strategy to enhance cognitive functions, specifically attention and processing speed, in visually impaired older adults with dementia.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to validate these findings and explore the broader applicability of such interventions.