How smart are patients with LCA? According to one study, they're definitely above the US national average. Printed in the research journal Ophthalmology in March 2006 (Vol 13, No 3), Dr. Apushkin and Dr. Fishman's study looks at the education levels of fifty-five patients with LCA. All are legally blind and most attended college.
The researchers chose fifty-five LCA patients older than 17 and with a visual acuity of 20/200 or worse. They asked each patient a range of questions and gathered information about their age, gender, race, level of education, visual function, and quality of life (poor, good, very good, or excellent).
Here's a break down of the results: of 55 patients with LCA (24 men and 31 women):
- Highschool Graduates: 54
- College Graduates: 36
- Gradschool Graduates: 15 (with 3 currently enrolled in programs)
Further, 17 rated their quality of life as excellent, 20 as very good, and 18 as good.
According to these findings, 98% of patients with LCA complete high school, 65% attain a Bachelor's degree, and 27% continue their education beyond a Bachelor's degree. Of the general US population, 80% complete a High School education and 24% a Bachelor's degree or higher. (Source US Census Bureau, Census 2000, www.census.gov.)
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