This study aims to establish reference data for nondemented adults between 80 and 84 years of age based on the German version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease Neuropsychological (CERAD-NP) test battery and to assess the possible influence of hearing and vision impairments on CERAD-NP performance.

Two hundred one volunteers were examined with the German CERAD-NP test battery, and 18 test scores were calculated from the data. The sample included 99 men (49%), the mean age was 81.8 years (SD = 1.3), and the mean years of education were 13.9 (SD = 3.1). Percentiles for continuous and percentile ranks for discrete test scores were calculated separately for four norm groups. The groups were classified according to gender and education. Multiple regression analysis was used to predict cognitive performance from visual acuity and hearing ability.

The normative data obtained were consistent with other findings from younger and older age groups. Worse visual acuity predicted slower performance in the Trail Making Test (TMT). None of the other CERAD-NP tests were correlated to sensory functions.

Using age-appropriate reference data, such as that established here for the 80–84 year age group can help to improve the detection of cognitive decline and prevent biases that arise when old-old adults are compared to younger old adults. Visual acuity should be considered an influencing factor on TMT performance.

People with sensory impairments may be at increased risk of depression and anxiety but experience barriers to accessing treatment.

To investigate whether people with sensory impairment have more depressive and anxiety symptoms than people without, whether this is mediated by social functioning and whether they report greater non-treatment.

We analysed data from the English 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey using regression models, with the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) score as the primary outcome and self-reported hearing and vision impairment as exposures. A secondary outcome was self-reported receipt of mental health diagnosis and treatment. We used structural equation modelling to assess for mediation by social functioning.

A total of 19.0% of people with hearing impairment, and 30.9% and 24.5% with distance and near visual impairments, respectively, had clinically significant psychological morbidity. Adjusted mean CIS-R score was 1.86 points higher in people with hearing impairment compared with those without (95% CI 1.30–2.42, P<0.001). People with distance and near vision impairment had mean CIS-R scores 3.61 (95% CI 2.58–4.63, P<0.001) and 2.74 (95% CI 2.12–3.37, P<0.001) points higher, respectively, than those without. Social functioning accounted for approximately 50% of these relationships between sensory impairment and psychological morbidity. We found no evidence of an increased treatment gap for people with sensory impairment.

Social functioning, a potentially modifiable target, may mediate an association between sensory impairment and depressive and anxiety symptoms.

The overall aim of this study was to evaluate whether attendance at a Sensory Support Centre for people with a sensory impairment living in the Western Isles of Scotland had an impact on their lives.

Demographic forecasts show that the prevalence of sensory impairment in the population will increase, as a significant proportion of sensory loss is age related. People with sensory impairments are more likely to experience social exclusion, and are more at risk of injury and physical and mental illness. Therefore, strategies to improve service access and provision for people with sensory impairments are important to reduce the disability associated with sight and/or hearing loss.

All clients who accessed the service during a six-month period were invited to complete a postal questionnaire about their service experience. Semi-structured individual interviews with clients (n=12) described their experience of living with a sensory impairment and the impact (if any) that access to the Sensory Centre had on their lives. Individual interviews were also conducted with healthcare and social-care professionals (n=7) to ascertain their level of service awareness.

Clients who experienced sensory impairment described how the impairment negatively impacted on their activities of living, safety and independence. Following Sensory Centre assessment and support, some clients were able to identify ways in which interventions had reduced their sense of social isolation, impacted positively on self-confidence and sense of self-esteem and safety. Importantly, interventions had supported greater functional independence in their own homes.

This study provides evidence that access to sensory services are important to people with sensory impairments living in remote areas, and should be considered when planning healthcare services, as they are one way of ameliorating health inequalities in this population group.