The Impact of Spectacle Intervention for Refractive Error and Presbyopia on Cognitive Function in Rural Older Adults
The aim of this project is to explore whether vision correction can effectively slow cognitive decline in older adults. The primary question it seeks to answer is: Can providing free near and/or distance vision correction glasses to older adults with refractive errors or uncorrected vision, who have normal baseline cognition and hearing, reduce the rate of cognitive decline over 36 months in a cost-effective manner? Researchers will compare the rate of cognitive decline over 36 months between older adults who receive refractive correction and those who do not.
• Older adults who meet all of the following criteria will be eligible to participate in this study:
‣ Registered as a rural resident (holding rural household registration);
⁃ Age from 60 to 79 years at the time of enumeration;
⁃ Resident in the household for \> = 3 months and planning to reside in the local area for the trial duration;
⁃ Distance vision impairment (VI, presenting visual acuity \[VA\] \< 6/18 in the better-seeing eye and improving to \> = 6/18 with spectacles) and/or near VI (presenting near vision \< N6 at 40 cm and improving to \> = N6 with spectacles);
⁃ Independent mobility with or without the support of a walking stick;
⁃ Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE) score above the following cut-offs (out of 30): \>17 for illiterate participants, \>20 for those with primary school education, \>22 for those with junior high school education, and \>23 for those with high school education or above.
⁃ Willingness to participate, to be randomized to either study group, and to adhere to the protocol