Assessment of Visual Function in Institutionalized Elderly Patients

Age and sex characteristics of the study population. The white and grey bars represent data for men and women, respectively. The number atop each bar indicates the number of subjects included in each age category.

Visual acuity as a function of age. Data showing VA in minutes of arc (minarc) as a function of age for all subjects in whom VA was obtained. Each datum point represents the distance VA measured in the best seeing eye of each subject. The filled diamonds represent the optimized VA measured after an ocular refraction was performed whereas the empty squares represent the habitual VA for patients in whom an ocular refraction was not performed. Data points for VA inferior to 20/200 (6/60) are not presented in this graph. The horizontal full and dashed lines at the bottom of the graph represent a level of VA of 20/20 (6/6) and 20/40 (6/12), respectively. Data points contained between these 2 lines indicate subjects without visual impairment based on their level of VA. The regression line has been drawn through the filled diamonds only, to indicate how corrected VA varies as a function of age. Data points for optimized visual acuities inferior to 20/200 (6/60) have been included in this regression line, even if they are not presented in the graph.

MMSE scores of patients seen in optometry. MMSE scores for all patients having been referred in optometry for a full eye examination (n = 105). The MMSE scores have been divided in 7 different categories as indicated on the abscissa. The filled bars represent subjects (n = 89) for whom it was possible to do a full eye examination including refraction, VA, and ocular health. The empty bars represent the remaining subjects (n = 16) for whom only 2 or 1 of these 3 evaluations could be performed. The number atop each bar represents the number of subjects in each MMSE category.