Page 30 - July-August 2020

NATIONAL EYE TESTS TO IDENTIFY DEMENTIA

RECOGNITION PATIENTS PRONE TO FALLING
FOR HOLLAND According to new UK research, “This research emphasises the

OPTOMETRIST when depth perception tasks are importance of routine sight tests for
presented as part of the sight test, people with dementia and the need
they can help to identify dementia to include a suitable test of the ability
Dr. Neil Renauld, a Holland- patients who are at a risk of falling. to judge distances,” she shared.
area optometrist received national Study author and orthoptist at “Having good eyesight reduces
recognition when one of the patients the University of Surrey, Dr Marianne your risk of falling and the right
he was treating was able to read easily Coleman suggested that when eye tests, the right spectacles, a
after getting optometric vision therapy. clinicians carefully illustrated what dementia-friendly testing technique

Renauld and the patient, a participants needed to do in the and adequate appointment lengths
seventh-grader, used relatively depth perception examination, even can all help to ensure people living
new eye-tracking technology called those with the lowest memory test with dementia can see as well as
RightEye, that aims to correct scores were able to participate. possible,” Dr Coleman stressed.
functional vision problems. Dr Marianne further underlined The research was jointly funded
that those who had faced difficulty through a one-year Primer Fellowship
Renauld explained that some
symptoms, like avoiding reading, in judging distances were at an Award from Fight for Sight and the
retention and even homework, may increased risk of falling. Royal Society of Medicine.
often be termed as developmental
issues. However, he thinks that NEW CONNECTION FOUND
these are actually misinterpreted
vision problems. “The patients we BETWEEN BLOOD PRESSURE AND
see may have been diagnosed with EYE HEALTH IN KIDS
ADD or ADHD or dyslexia or they
may say these kids just just aren’t A new study published in on screening retinal microvascular
college material. They understand Hypertension, an American Heart health and blood pressure in young
better when they’re read to rather Association journal revealed that children so that those at high risk
than reading themselves,” Renauld children with narrow retinal artery of developing hypertension can be
said. “Before we didn’t know why, diameters were prone to develop easily identified.
we’re now able to diagnose it and higher blood pressure (BP) and these
treat it without medication with high BP levels could in turn lead to Henner Hanssen, M.D.,
amazing results.” development of retinal microvascular Study’s Lead Author and
Using RightEye, patients stare at impairment during early childhood. Professor, Department of Sport,
Exercise and Health, University
a screen and follow a dot or images This is the first study to show this of Basel, Switzerland said, “Early
with their eyes. Simultaneously, a connection in children. The study childhood assessments of retinal
camera precisely tracks and records titled, “Retinal Vessel Diameters microvascular health and blood
the subtle movements of the eyes and and Blood Pressure Progression in pressure monitoring can improve
gives optometrists a closer look at Children,” shows how researchers cardiovascular risk classification.
movement sometimes untraceable by tried to predict the development of Timely primary prevention strategies
the human eye. high blood pressure in children over for children at risk of developing
four years based on retinal blood hypertension could potentially
Renauld works at EagleEye
Performance Vision, which has been in vessel measurements. counteract its growing burden
among both children and adults.”
business for over a year and has fully Hypertension is still considered
incorporated the fairly new technology. as the main risk factor for the However, the researchers noted
EagleEye opines that patients who use development of cardiovascular limitations in their study and said
the new tech can positively complete diseases and mortality. Hence, it that further studies are needed to
the therapy and will be better off for is necessary to employ primary determine age-related normal values
the rest of their lives. prevention strategies and focus during childhood.

| JULY-AUG 2020 | 26 OPTOMETRY NEWS