Neuroscience company Cognivue, Inc. has partnered with St. Paul, Minnesota optometrist Solomon Gould on a paper exploring the connection between vision and cognitive function. In the paper, Dr. Gould makes the case for eye care practitioners and other healthcare professionals to consider vision as one of the top modifiable factors for the potential of cognitive decline and dementia along with hearing, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.

Sharing stories from his practice, Scenic Eye Care, Dr. Gould details how he uses the Cognivue Thrive device to assess patients’ cognitive function. Cognivue Thrive provides a five-minute, self-administered computerized screening of cognitive function.

The full paper is available at https://www.cognivue.com/news/cognitive-vision-testing-in-optometry-precision-medicine-for-eye-care/

Dr. Gould said, “Cognivue Thrive has been a game changer for both clinical care and my practice's performance. I have used this technology with more than 750 patients over the past year and its utilization is growing by the day. It allows me to not only quantify my patients' vision but to also quantify the processing of their vision. The reality is that we look with our eyes, but we see with our brain.”

The paper aligns with Cognivue’s goals of elevating the cognition standard of care, reducing the stigma of cognitive issues, and enabling early detection.

Cognivue Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Fred Ma, M.D., Ph.D. said, “Study results published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology show that visual impairment is associated with an increased risk of dementia, especially in patients with worse visual acuity. These findings underscore the importance of visual screening and effective treatment for visual impairment along with implementation of a screening procedure for cognitive function. What Dr. Gould and other eye care professionals are doing in their optometry clinics seeks to explore the relationship between visual impairment and dementia with a practical, meaningful, and routine practice of assessing patients’ cognitive health.”

Cognivue adviser J. Bradley Oatney, OD said, “It makes sense that as an optometrist I screen my patients for cognitive function like checking their blood pressure or examining their retina for diabetes, especially with the rising impact of cognitive decline on vision. Cognivue Thrive provides me with another “vital sign” or health marker that fits into my holistic approach to patient care. Optometry is well suited to play a vital role in the education and early detection of cognitive decline."

The company is preparing to launch a real-world data collection study led by nationally recognized optometrists and neuro-optometrists to deepen the understanding of the connection between cognition and vision. Eye care professionals interested in participating may contact medicalaffairs@cognivue.com

Cognivue technologies are designed to provide healthcare providers a useful tool for cognitive evaluation and diagnosis of various neurodegenerative and neuropsychological disorders. Cognivue Thrive evaluates three cognitive domains: memory, visuospatial, and executive function. The device utilizes the same FDA-cleared technology used by neurologists and other physicians to test for cognitive function. The screening is simple to implement in any clinical environment and requires minimal staff involvement. The device folds up like a laptop and weighs less than eight pounds for easy portability, so it can be taken to various locations inside and outside of the clinic.