Hello everyone, I just have a question about my Dad's vision. My Dad has early-middle stage Alzheimers and it mainly affects his short term memory and his vision. He has been to the optician various times and had new glasses but I realised yesterday he can see very very little despite the optician not being able to find anything obvious to cause this. I was showing him some photos of the family on the computer (so very big screen) and tried with his distance and reading glasses, tried moving the screen nearer and further away and asked him what he could see - he got a bit upset and said 'what am I supposed to be looking at' as I think he has been covering up his very poor vision. It just seems that the Alzheimers has really badly affected his vision more than anything else and I think this is also causing him to trip and fall a lot - has anyone else experience of this? I am guessing there is nothing much we can do other than be aware of it and try to reduce risk. Thanks in advance.
Alzheimer's and vision
- Thread starter BobblesBonBon
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To see requires 2 things - eyes and a working brain. It's the brain that processes what the eyes see and in dementia that process breaks down. So spatial awareness/depth perception becomes a problem, often leading to falls, etc.
Other processing problems can include things like seeing a leaf on the grass as a bird, a shadow as a person, a dark-coloured mat as a hole in the ground or not being able to understand that the people on the TV are not in the room. Other people struggle to see things right in front of them. So you say, 'Your tea is on the table,' but the person first has to process what 'tea' might look like then try to identify it nearby. (And they need to hold onto that thought for long enough to have worked out they're looking for a cup/mug!) These are things a normal brain just does automatically - language = image - but for a person with dementia, everything has to be worked out from scratch.
Example: when my mum was in the care home and could still make it to the loo, she'd go into her ensuite but would fail to recognise the toilet even though she was standing in front of it. Just too much processing involved for her damaged brain.
Also, dementia can affect different bits of the brain more severely than others. Maybe your dad has particular damage in the visual cortex?
Other processing problems can include things like seeing a leaf on the grass as a bird, a shadow as a person, a dark-coloured mat as a hole in the ground or not being able to understand that the people on the TV are not in the room. Other people struggle to see things right in front of them. So you say, 'Your tea is on the table,' but the person first has to process what 'tea' might look like then try to identify it nearby. (And they need to hold onto that thought for long enough to have worked out they're looking for a cup/mug!) These are things a normal brain just does automatically - language = image - but for a person with dementia, everything has to be worked out from scratch.
Example: when my mum was in the care home and could still make it to the loo, she'd go into her ensuite but would fail to recognise the toilet even though she was standing in front of it. Just too much processing involved for her damaged brain.
Also, dementia can affect different bits of the brain more severely than others. Maybe your dad has particular damage in the visual cortex?
My mum often says she can't see properly, and that her eyes have changed, despite having regular checks with the optician, then other times she's ok. As Jaded'n'faded has said, I understand that it can be their brain which is not processing what they see properly. Apart from regular checks with the optician I'm not sure what else can be done.
@Jaded'n'faded - I think you are right, so when he says 'what am I looking at' it is most likely that his eyes are sending the signals but the images are just not processed or understood properly. I know dementia affects everyone differently and it seems to have had the most impact on my Dad's vision/visual perception. Thanks for everyone who took the time to reply
My OH has similar issues, eye clinic advised a few years ago that specific visual fields are affected, but more recently its clear she struggles to identify things, out for a walk to and she gets very anxious of puddles, frighted of falling in
When I still had paid employment I had the opportunity to work on "Machine Vision ", which is getting a computer to detect and classify objects in a picture, or field of view. (In the news it is referred to as AI - don't get me started! )
The first step is to train a "neural network " with what you want to detect - basically show an algorithm lots of pictures of the desired object from which a neural network is built. (A neural network mimics the way brains operate with our own neural networks) No neural network is ever perfect, but a sub-optimally trained one could come up with some pretty odd results, I.e. mis-classifying objects, or detecting objects that weren't there.
So if we now think of a PWD, with some well trained neural networks, where we start ripping out nodes (cells dying) in a random manner, it is no surprise to me that some detection and classification issues start to occur.
The first step is to train a "neural network " with what you want to detect - basically show an algorithm lots of pictures of the desired object from which a neural network is built. (A neural network mimics the way brains operate with our own neural networks) No neural network is ever perfect, but a sub-optimally trained one could come up with some pretty odd results, I.e. mis-classifying objects, or detecting objects that weren't there.
So if we now think of a PWD, with some well trained neural networks, where we start ripping out nodes (cells dying) in a random manner, it is no surprise to me that some detection and classification issues start to occur.
My husband has Posterior Cortical Atrophy, it is a rare type Alzheimer’s where the part of the brain which is attacked first is where the left side optical nerve is. Result is the first signs of his dementia we’re all related to his sight, basically he is blind on the right side of each eye. So has missing images, double vision sometimes, things overlap, no spacial concepts , things aren’t where he sees them(when he sees them) , has trouble making sense of what his eyes see etc etc. Just about everybody with dementia who lives long enough eventually has these problems. Things that we have found helped are motion detector lights all over the place. Fluorescent tape on door handles and light switches, limiting what he needs to see e.g. one thing on his plate at a time. One item of clothing for him to pick up. He either uses contactless payment or pays with a note. He finds bright colours easier to see. TV programmes that have a limited number of characters, and a set format, gets a Talking Newspaper, can use Google Nest (like Alexa) to ask the time, get the weather, play the radio, and voice control to make telephone calls/send messages.
My husband had cataracts removed about three years ago and initially it seemed to have been a success. Now he complains constantly that he can’t see though at his last visit to the optician, he could read most of the eye chart. Physically he eyes have not changed much from visit to visit and he still reads and does crosswords but there is this constant moan about his eyes are bad so I suspect that it is the dementia affecting his vision.
My dad is also suffering from some kind of sight problems. He has seen 4 different opticians and an ophthalmologist in the last few years all of whom have said his prescription is correct. I've got him various magnifying lenses, table lamps and book stands, but he still can't 'see'. A couple of days ago, he tried reading aloud; it was like listening to a child who can say the words but hasn't the ability to look ahead to get the meaning of the sentence. He sounded very disjointed and the intonation was all wrong. I've begun to realise that the part of his brain that is responsible for reading has deteriorated so no amount of eye tests will sort out the problem.
Hello, yes My husband has a similar problem, he keeps saying he needs new glasses, but I don't think it will make any difference. It isn't long since he had his eyes tested and new glasses. He also has a lot of falls and is frightened to walk. I have given up trying to take him out (unless in wheelchair) as I can see real fear and confusion on his face. Sorry I cannot suggest anything that might help, but can only offer sympathy! We struggle on, thinking of you...
With my Mum it was her hearing. We kept changing her hearing aid batteries, having them cleaned, etc, even got new ones, her ‘hearing’ continued to be a problem. But she would get annoyed when asked if she could hear, I worked out in the end that she could ‘hear’ me, but struggled to make sense of what I was saying. Finally I wrote her notes (a follow on from the white board during the Covid distancing). Of the 2, her hearing or my husbands sight, for me the ‘hearing’ was worst as it made communication and feeling ‘connected’ to her so difficult. There sense of touch goes too, my husband can’t tell when he has small things in his fingers or hand and often holds me too hard, hurts me grabbing my arm …. I have to watch him round the grandchildren. This is a truly dreadful disease.
@Knitandpurl, that is so similar to my OH vision loss, same side in both eyes as well, identified via eye clinic, we are awaiting the results of a PET scan last week which hopefully will provide a better insight in to her difficulties, your ideas are very interesting, it's something I've been struggling to sort out for some time now.
Hi @BobblesBonBon
If you can get the optician to provide the best glasses for how the optician sees your dad's eyes, then further deficiency, as has been said above, must be the way the brain interprets the images or not as the case may be.
My OH has always been short sighted and had glasses, the contact lenses, the cataracts removed and no glasses needed now. However, one of her early signs of her Alz's was a change in her perception and co-ordination - so she would reach for her cup of tea, but somehow only half get it and we had lots of spills of tea and tears. Then, she'd reach for a chair, before she was quite there and she'd fall down just short of the chair. I took this as just part of the pattern of my OH's deterioration of her brain malfunction. Maybe it's similar to hgow your dad is suffering - the frustration is an understandable result. I just had to take extra care with my OH - her co-ordination with cutlery went - result is I now have to feed her all food and all drinks.
So, yes to your question - do what you can to reduce the risks as they arise!
Best wises and a hug to you!
If you can get the optician to provide the best glasses for how the optician sees your dad's eyes, then further deficiency, as has been said above, must be the way the brain interprets the images or not as the case may be.
My OH has always been short sighted and had glasses, the contact lenses, the cataracts removed and no glasses needed now. However, one of her early signs of her Alz's was a change in her perception and co-ordination - so she would reach for her cup of tea, but somehow only half get it and we had lots of spills of tea and tears. Then, she'd reach for a chair, before she was quite there and she'd fall down just short of the chair. I took this as just part of the pattern of my OH's deterioration of her brain malfunction. Maybe it's similar to hgow your dad is suffering - the frustration is an understandable result. I just had to take extra care with my OH - her co-ordination with cutlery went - result is I now have to feed her all food and all drinks.
So, yes to your question - do what you can to reduce the risks as they arise!
Best wises and a hug to you!
If you can get the eye clinic to fill in the appropriate form you can get her registered as ‘sight impaired’ (can get disabled rail pass which gives third of rail travel for both the pass holder and carer) ,and referred to your local ‘sensory impairment’ service, they can come to your house and give you lots of real advice and help, and tell you what is available locally. My husband agreed to attend groups for blind and partially sighted people when he won’t entertain memory cafes or other dementia groups. He also will accept and ask for help saying “I can’t see properly…”. We both found this help invaluable, it helped us to come to some kind of acceptance and start to see a way forward. I would also say he was diagnosed in early 2018, his memory and many of his social skills are still not too bad and his mobility is good. He can still go to our local shop and for a walk in our village on his own.
@Knitandpurl thats really helpfull thankyou, my OH is more accepting of help now thankfully, an additional problem is my OH is hearing impaired which isn't a recent problem, but her sight loss is on the same side that she's deaf on and the other sides poor we are awaiting a further Audiology appt to fit and adjust H/aids for the first time. Now I'm aware of Posterior Cortical Atrophy I can raise it directly with her consultant as they plan to do a home visit to go through the PET scan results.
Cognition problems with different senses are not uncommon with Alzheimer’s Disease. Personally, whilst my underlying brain pathology is Alzheimer’s this doesn’t currently affect my memory, as atrophy is in my parietal lobes rather than my hippocampus. I do, however, have CVI - cortical visual impairment. That is, I see things that are generated within my brain rather than by my eyesight. Specifically I see dark spot in my left field of vision, and sometimes see reflective surfaces as covered in hair or fine cracks. Additionally, I have problems perceiving very dark objects - it is as if they don’t exist.
All of this takes a bit of getting used to
All of this takes a bit of getting used to
I agree with you my husband had hearing loss before we got told he had dementia but now he has loss of sight even though he can see most of the board in fact he sees more of the board without glasses than I can I think it is the brain trying to process what is in front of them
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