Eye Watching

Glaucoma and Cognitive Impairment

Angie SzumlinskiNews

In a recent article published in the British Journal of Opthalmology, research suggests an association between normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and dementia. They cited a study that investigated whether cognitive impairment is more strongly associated with NTG than high tension glaucoma (HTG) using cognitive screening within an Australian Glaucoma Disease Registry.

There were 290 participants in the study who completed cognitive assessments. There were no differences in NTG and HTG cohort demographics or ocular parameters at baseline. Cognitive impairment was more prevalent in the NTG cohort than the HTG cohort. This study demonstrated that there exists a disease association features between NTG and dementia.

Is there a cure? Can glaucoma be reversed or slowed down? There are medications to assist in lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG). It might be a good idea to have your residents screened for glaucoma especially if new onset cognitive impairment is observed. It might not be too late to treat the glaucoma and prevent further decline?

Stay well, mask up, and stay tuned!