A study that analyzed data from 9,935 nursing home residents aged 65 and older with baseline visits in the Western North Carolina Nursing Homes Study (WNCNHS) found that cognitive loss prevalence increased progressively across worsening vision categories: 52.2% among residents with normal vision, 58.2% among those with mild visual impairment, 63.0% among those with moderate visual impairment, and 76.6% among those with blindness. 60.3% of the nursing home residents who were studied were classified as cognitively impaired.
The study’s data was presented at the 2026 Optometry’s Meeting of the American Optometric Association that was held from June 17 to June 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Visual acuity values were categorized into normal vision, mild visual impairment, moderate visual impairment, and blindness. Cognitive status was determined using a rule-based model built on diagnoses and medications associated with cognitive impairment.
The study’s authors opined that vision loss may contribute to neurodegenerative changes, as reduced sensory input has been linked to decreased brain volume in regions associated with cognition. Visual impairment can also lead to social isolation and depression, both established contributors to cognitive decline. Additionally, the increased cognitive load required to compensate for impaired vision may divert cognitive resources away from memory and executive function tasks.
The study’s authors concluded: “Among US nursing home residents, vision loss and cognitive loss are frequent coexisting conditions and appear to be closely linked. This study demonstrates that poorer visual acuity is associated with progressively higher odds of cognitive loss, suggesting that vision loss may serve as an important marker of cognitive vulnerability.”
Another study of 7,753 initial eye examination records of nursing home residents with complete data found that 34% of the residents had normal vision, 43% had vision impairment, and 23% were blind. Among participants with various age-related eye diseases, the prevalence of vision impaired/blind ranged from 63% to 76%, while blindness ranged from 23% to 53%. The study found that correction of refractive error alone served to reduce vision impairment or blindness: of those who were visually impaired, 36.7% could be corrected to normal vision, and of those who were blind at initial assessment, 75% and 5%, respectively, could be improved to vision impaired or normal vision.
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