Who would have thought that just by having cataract surgery, patients with Alzheimer's would not only improve their vision, but also their lives?

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Tenon Hospital in Paris found that patients,who are suffering from a mild case of Alzheimer's disease, also improved their cognitive ability, mood, sleep pattern, and other behaviors after seeking to improve their vision through cataract surgery.

The study specifically centered on whether or not cataract surgery could benefit Alzheimer's patients.

To find out its benefits, Brigette Girard, lead researcher, studied over 38 patients that had an average age of 85.

"We wanted to learn whether significant vision improvement would result in positive mood and behavior changes, or might instead upset these patients' coping strategies," Girard said.

These patients all exhibited mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. All the participants also had debilitating cataract in at least one eye. These patients were then given appropriate cataract surgery to improve their vision. After the surgery, all but one of the participants' visions were improved.

Under the study, a neuropsychologist assessed the patients for mood and depression, behavior, ability to function independently, and cognitive abilities one month before and three months after the cataract surgery.

Results showed that the cognitive status, or their ability to perceive, understand and respond appropriately to their surroundings, improved in 25% of the patients. In addition, many of them were relieved of depression, with levels of improvement similar to that of those elderly people who do not have dementia.

When it comes to the patients' sleep patterns, there was also an improvement, and night time behavior problems decreased in most of them.

Girard noted that other studies have shown that when cataracts are removed, levels of the sleep-regulating hormone normalized.

No changes were found in the patients' level of autonomy, their ability to function independently.

Girard said that in the future, she intends to find out what factors, specifically, led to the positive effects that was discovered.