Dementia includes a number of neurological diseases which cause cognitive, emotional, and motivational symptoms. Īnother health problem afflicting the elderly population in particular is dementia. Functional definitions of DSL therefore do not imply that the individual is totally deaf and blind in most cases, residual hearing and/or vision are present. Accordingly, DSL is diagnosed when combined hearing and vision losses cause significant limitations in independent living due to restricted mobility, access to information, communication, and social interaction. Functional definitions are often applied, in which the degree of impact of vision and hearing loss on the individual’s activities of daily living is evaluated. No generally accepted definition or objective criteria for DSL exist in research or clinical practice. The main causes of DSL are age-related, including for vision loss: diabetic retinopathy, cataract, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, and for hearing loss: presbyacusis (age-related sensorineural hearing loss). Prevalence studies of DSL estimate a rate close to zero for populations below 65 years of age, increasing to around 30% in populations above 80 years of age. The objective of this study therefore has been to develop and evaluate a number of tactile tests for cognitive assessment in individuals with DSL. Sometimes, adaptations of tests and/or applications of vision and hearing aids provide satisfying solutions, but it is not always the case. Accordingly, individuals who have severe vision or hearing loss – and in particular those who have combined vision and hearing losses (dual sensory loss or deafblindness) – cannot easily be assessed.
However, commonly applied short mental state assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as well as more comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries used for diagnosing dementia, primarily rely on the use of vision and/or hearing. Karger AG, BaselĬonventional assessment for dementia includes an evaluation of several key cognitive domains: anterograde memory (learning and recall), perception of spatial relationships, naming, and processing speed. They indicate that symptoms of dementia can be differentiated from symptoms related to DSL. Conclusion: The findings from this study of applying tactile tests for cognitive examination in individuals with DSL are promising. The TTB and MMSE scores correlated significantly. No significant differences on the tactile tests were found between participants with DSL and controls. Results: Overall, participants with dementia performed significantly worse on the tactile tests than participants with DSL and control participants. The participants with dementia and controls also completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Method: Twenty elderly individuals with DSL, 20 with diagnosed dementia, and 20 without dementia or DSL (controls) completed the following tactile tests developed for the present study: Spatial learning, Spatial recall, Tactile form board, Clock reading, and Naming. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a Tactile Test Battery (TTB) for cognitive assessment in individuals with DSL. Other studies have pointed to the challenges in assessing cognitive abilities in individuals with DSL, as most existing instruments rely on use of vision and hearing.
Background/Aims: Individuals with dual sensory loss (DSL) are more likely to experience cognitive decline with age than individuals without sensory loss.
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