Researchers from several universities announced the start of a $2.9 million five-year long NIH-funded study to evaluate the impact of cataract surgery on patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients with dementia lose the ability to see in low-contrast and medium contrast settings but cataracts add to the visual difficulties of these patients. The researchers note that after cataract surgery, there can be improvements in behavior of patients with Alzhemier’s Disease and that better sight may even help these patients recognize family members. Cataract removal may also offer benefits in quality of life.

In the NIH-funded study, one-half of the participants will undergo cataract surgery and the rest will have the surgery delayed for six months. The researchers will follow the progress of both groups and primary caregivers will also inform the researchers about the patient’s quality of life and activity levels.

Another focus of the study is to determine if retinal thickness has any connection with Alzheimer’s disease.  The retinal thickness will be measured with OCT.

Grover “Cleve” Gilmore is the dean of the Case Western Reserve Mandel School and the principal investigator of the study.

Read ^[1] the release.