**5. Conclusion**

Systematic changes in visual cortex likely occur as part of both the normal aging process and the pathophysiology of AD. A better understanding of the alteration of visual representations during healthy aging would both help reveal the effects of healthy aging on visual processing and enhance the use of age-matched controls in studies of visual symptoms in age-related diseases [57, 132]. Our hope is that such data will contribute to earlier and more definitive detection of these forms of dementia and a better understanding of the differences between AD and related dementias.
