ABSTRACT
AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine the refractive status and ocular health of a group of patients with Down's syndrome, all over the age of 40, with possible involvement of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We also aimed to compare the results obtained from sufferers and non-sufferers of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined 49 patients, between 40 and 62 years of age. The visual examination consisted in visual acuity (VA) measurement, binocularity test, ocular motility, retinoscopy, ocular health and subjective examination. RESULTS: Of the 49 patients studied, 24.5% were diagnosed as suffering from AD and were treated accordingly; 4% of the patients diagnosed as suffering from the disease were unable to go on with the treatment for a number of different reasons and 8.2% were at the limit of being diagnosed. 68.7% of the patients presented VA in long distance sight below 0.5 and 48% had values below 0.4 in near sight. Results showed 61.4% myopias, 45.8% astigmatisms and 23% hyperopias. 31.2% of the patients showed signs of needing prescription regarding near sight. 66.7% presented strabismus and altered motility. The main pathologies found were: 59.4% of crystalline opacities, 25% nystagmus, 13.5% interventions due to cataracts, and 6.2% keratoconus, among others. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of AD is a very complex task in this population due to the heterogeneity of the level of retardation, the presence of concomitant psychiatric diseases and associated sensory problems. Findings confirm the high incidence among this population of ametropias and pathologies, especially cataracts, and VA values outside the functional limits both in far and near sightedness. No significant differences were found among patients who had been diagnosed and those who had not been diagnosed as suffering from AD.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Down Syndrome/complications , Down Syndrome/physiopathology , Vision Disorders , Adult , Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Vision Disorders/diagnosis , Vision Disorders/etiology , Vision Disorders/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The aim of this article is to show the main general and ocular characteristics of a group of 46 mentally handicapped people of different IQ and age who were provided with visual care. Many different syndromes and neurological alterations have been described in the literature. The case types and number of people studied for each condition attending our clinics were: syndromes: Down's (25), Soto (2), West (2), Rubinstein-Taybi (1), triple X (1); neurological conditions: cerebral palsy (8), microcephaly (5), hydrocephaly (2). In our study the ocular findings were high incidence of ametropies: 58.7% hyperopia, 21.7% myopia, 19.5% astigmatism and 28% strabismus.
Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability/complications , Refractive Errors/complications , Strabismus/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Cerebral Palsy/complications , Child , Child, Preschool , Chromosome Aberrations , Down Syndrome/complications , Gigantism/complications , Humans , Hydrocephalus/complications , Infant , Microcephaly/complications , Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome/complications , Spasms, Infantile/complications , X ChromosomeABSTRACT
The incidence of visual problems in people with mental handicaps is very high. Nine severely mentally handicapped patients were studied. Several objective and subjective optometric tests were performed. The results showed the presence of different kinds of visual problems that were compensated for by optical methods. The subjects showed a general change in their behaviour. It is essential to give optometric care to such people.
