Dementia Gateway: Sensory Loss and Dementia

There is a lack of prevalence studies of dementia and sensory loss, but clear evidence of an association between visual impairment and dementia, and age-related hearing loss and dementia.  Visual deficits can be the first or major manifestation that trigger people to seek help regarding Alzheimer’s disease, although people are often not aware of the link.  Recent research has demonstrated strongly that there is a relationship between age-related hearing loss and an increased risk of all different kinds of dementia, not just Alzheimer’s disease. However, research is inconclusive whether by improving hearing it is possible to decrease the risk of dementia and/or improve cognitive functioning. living with advanced dementia which also include incontinence, malnutrition and frailty.  Visual and hearing impairments interfere with the assessment and diagnosis of dementia and conversely dementia can affect the assessment of visual or hearing impairment. Cognitive assessments are more complicated to carry out and their results more uncertain.  The challenges of cognitive assessment and diagnosis of dementia in the case of Deaf people who use sign language are different because of the visual spatial nature of signed languages and the cultural identity of Deaf people.  Most research and clinical guidelines on dementia fail to consider the role of sensory loss in screening, diagnosis and treatment.