scholarly journals Sensorial frailty: age-related hearing loss and the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in later life

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204062231881100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Panza ◽  
Madia Lozupone ◽  
Rodolfo Sardone ◽  
Petronilla Battista ◽  
Marco Piccininni ◽  
...  

The peripheral hearing alterations and central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) associated with age-related hearing loss (ARHL), may impact cognitive disorders in older age. In older age, ARHL is also a significant marker for frailty, another age-related multidimensional clinical condition with a nonspecific state of vulnerability, reduced multisystem physiological reserve, and decreased resistance to different stressors (i.e. sensorial impairments, psychosocial stress, diseases, injuries). The multidimensional nature of frailty required an approach based on different pathogeneses because this clinical condition may include sensorial, physical, social, nutritional, cognitive, and psychological phenotypes. In the present narrative review, the cumulative epidemiological evidence coming from several longitudinal population-based studies, suggested convincing links between peripheral ARHL and incident cognitive decline and dementia. Moreover, a few longitudinal case-control and population-based studies also suggested that age-related CAPD in ARHL, may be central in determining an increased risk of incident cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cumulative meta-analytic evidence confirmed cross-sectional and longitudinal association of both peripheral ARHL and age-related CAPD with different domains of cognitive functions, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, while the association with dementia subtypes such as AD and vascular dementia remained unclear. However, ARHL may represent a modifiable condition and a possible target for secondary prevention of cognitive impairment in older age, social isolation, late-life depression, and frailty. Further research is required to determine whether broader hearing rehabilitative interventions including coordinated counseling and environmental accommodations could delay or halt cognitive and global decline in the oldest old with both ARHL and dementia.

Author(s):  
Santosh K. Swain

Age related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the commonest health conditions of the elderly people which have an important relation with the cognition. Long standing hearing deprivation leads to decline of the cognitive performance. This has impact on quality of communication and result in social isolation, depression and enhances the dementia. Cognitive decline may be misdiagnosed or over-diagnosed when the sensory abilities of the patients are not properly evaluated. Adequate intervention by use of hearing aid or cochlear implant improves the communication, cognitive function, social, emotion function and positively impact on the quality of life. With rise of the elderly population and concomitant increase of ARHL with associated cognitive impairment, it is imperative to discuss this morbid clinical entity in present scenario. Cognitive decline in elderly age have a profound impact on the affected person, on caregivers and society. The financial costs for cognitive impairment in ARHL are also major source of concern for the society. In this review article, we focus on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, hypotheses of etiological mechanisms between the ARHL and cognitive decline or impairment, impact of cognitive impairment on quality of life and prevention.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 157-157
Author(s):  
Ilaria Bortone ◽  
Francesco Panza ◽  
Giancarlo Sborgia ◽  
Gianluigi Giuliani ◽  
Valentina Pastore ◽  
...  

Abstract Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and retinal vessel changes have both been associated to neurodegeneration/dementia, suggesting a possible link between these two conditions in older age. We analyzed data on 886 older participants (65 years+, age range: 65-92 years) in the cross-sectional population-based Salus in Apulia Study. OCT-A scan was used to measure SVD and DVD of the capillary plexi of the macula in different retinal quadrants. Peripheral ARHL was defined as >40 dB HL of PTA (0.5,1,2, and 4KHz) in the worst ear, and age-related CAPD as <50% at the SSI-ICM test in at least one ear. DVD at the whole retina and at the parafoveal quadrant were inversely associated only with age-related CAPD [OR:0.93; 95%CI: 0.88-0.96 and OR:0.94; 95 CI:0.90-0.99, respectively]. The association of retinal vascular density with age-related CAPD may bring us a further step forward in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the links between neurodegeneration/dementia and ARHL.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-233
Author(s):  
Jakub Fuksa ◽  
Milan Profant ◽  
Martin Chovanec ◽  
Josef Syka

Age-related hearing loss, presbycusis, is one of the most frequent sensory impairments in the ageing population. It is associated with pathologies of both inner ear and the central parts of the auditory system. Intact cognitive functions are necessary for the proper processing of complex auditory information. Since the beginning of the 80s, there is an increasing amount of evidence linking presbycusis to cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia. The exact cause, which connects these two pathologies, is still unknown, although there are several hypotheses with various levels of evidence available. This review aims to describe the role of cognitive functions in the auditory processing, to summarize published evidence for a relationship between the hearing loss and cognitive impairment with a possible mechanism, which would explain this link. In addition, we discuss specific features of cognitive assessment in a person with hearing loss and describe the effect of hearing loss treatment, e. g. with hearing aids, cochlear implant and cognitive-hearing training on cognitive functions. Keywords: dementia – hearing loss – presbycusis – cognitive decline


2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110423
Author(s):  
Chao Wu

The relationship between depression and age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is not fully understood. This study tested the bidirectional associations between clinically significant depressive symptoms (CSDSs) and ARHL in middle-aged and older adults using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Among 3,418 participants free of baseline ARHL, baseline CSDS was associated with an increased odds of incident ARHL (odds ratio [OR]: 1.51). Cognitive decline, BMI, and arthritis partially mediated the longitudinal CSDS–ARHL association and explained 24% of the variance in the total effect. Among 4,921 participants without baseline CSDS, baseline ARHL was associated with an increased odds of incident CSDS (OR: 1.37). The bidirectional associations remained significant after adjustments for baseline demographic factors, comorbidities, and other health-related covariates. Depression may contribute to the development of ARHL, and vice versa. Interventions in depression, cognitive decline, and arthritis may delay the onset of ARHL and break the vicious circle between them.


Author(s):  
Juyong Chung

A number of studies have demonstrated a significant association between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and cognitive decline. However their relationship is not clear. In this review, we focused on the etiological mechanisms between ARHL and cognitive decline to explain the nature of this relationship: 1) causal mechanisms (e.g., cognitive load hypothesis, cascade hypothesis); 2) common cause mechanisms (e.g., microvascular disease); 3) overdiagnosis or harbinger hypothesis. We conclude that no single mechanism is sufficient and hearing and cognition related to each other in several different ways. In addition, we reviewed the effectiveness of hearing intervention (e.g., hearing aids and cochlear implants) on cognition function, and the role of hearing aid use and cochlear implant depends on the relevant mechanism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxing Fu ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
Robert H. Eikelboom ◽  
Dona M. P. Jayakody

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the association between untreated age-related hearing loss and cognitive impairment in Mandarin-speaking older adults living in China.Methods: Older adults (293; 111 males, M = 70.33 ± 4.90 years; 182 females, M = 69.02 ± 4.08 years) were recruited. All participants completed a pure tone audiometric hearing assessment, Hearing Impairment-Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (HI-MoCA), and a computerized neuropsychology test battery (CANTAB). The Mandarin version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to measure the loneliness, and the Mandarin version of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to measure the current severity of a range of symptoms common to depression, stress, and anxiety of the participants.Results: A multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the average of four mid-frequency thresholds in the better ear was related to CANTAB Paired Associates Learning (β = 0.20, p = 0.002), and the global cognitive function score (HI-MoCA) (β = −0.25, p < 0.001). The average of three high frequencies in the better ear was significantly associated with CANTAB Delayed Matching to Sample (β = −0.16, p = 0.008), and Spatial Working Memory (β = 0.17, p = 0.003).Conclusion: The results revealed a significant relationship between age-related hearing loss and cognitive impairment in Mandarin-speaking older adults. These research outcomes have clinical implications specifically for hearing health care professionals in China and other populations that speak a tonal language, especially when providing hearing rehabilitation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 10-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie C. Rigters ◽  
Mick Metselaar ◽  
Marjan H. Wieringa ◽  
Robert J. Baatenburg de Jong ◽  
Albert Hofman ◽  
...  

To contribute to a better understanding of the etiology in age-related hearing loss, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 3,315 participants (aged 52-99 years) in the Rotterdam Study, to analyze both low- and high-frequency hearing loss in men and women. Hearing thresholds with pure-tone audiometry were obtained, and other detailed information on a large number of possible determinants was collected. Hearing loss was associated with age, education, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption (inverse correlation). Remarkably, different associations were found for low- and high-frequency loss, as well as between men and women, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved in the etiology of age-related hearing loss.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document