Dementia-related visual impairment (diminished ‘brainsight’, not eyesight) is a life-limiting yet overlooked consequence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While such impairment arises from the diminished capacity of the brain to interpret visual information, it is often misinterpreted as reflecting an eye or psychiatric disorder. Frequent misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of dementia-related visual impairment denies the opportunity for early treatment and support tailored to visual symptoms. While most apparent in posterior cortical atrophy (‘visual-variant AD’), dementia-related visual loss is increasingly documented in people living with more ‘typical’ AD. The reasons why some people with dementia are particularly susceptible to brainsight loss are currently poorly understood.
This 5 year project aims to improve diagnosis, detection and understanding of determinants of dementia-related visual impairment (‘3Dem study’). I will develop a novel brainsight test to improve detection of dementia-related visual impairment in national ageing studies, eye and dementia clinics. I will investigate risks associated with vulnerability of the brain’s visual networks using clinical, MRI and biological information from the largest studies of ageing and visual-led forms of AD.
Outputs and impact comprise tools to detect brainsight loss in eye clinics promoting timely diagnosis and treatment in specialist clinics. Longer-term, improved understanding of why dementia causes predominant visual loss will inform prevention strategies and treatments tailored to the type of AD one is affected by.