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It is known the population of the United States is aging, and an increasing number of Americans are afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, and other Parkinsonian syndromes and tauopathies (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). Many of these neurodegenerative diseases have significant ocular manifestations, and health care providers both providing primary optometric care and those specializing in vision rehabilitation can benefit from understanding the impact these diseases have on functions of daily living. This course will review these neurodegenerative disorders and their visual sequelae and discuss clinical applications in the vision rehabilitation setting. 1. Review neurologic degenerative diseases and how they are differentiated clinically, histologically, and epidemiologically. 2. Analyze how many commonly diagnosed neurodegenerative diseases may present with ocular findings. These clinical presentations can offer the first definitive clinical sign of a specific neurological diagnosis and may assist the clinician in formulating the appropriate differential. 3. Identify clinical findings and associate them with appropriate recommendations to improve visual function, mobility, and overall quality of life. |
