Relationship between hearing thresholds and cognitive function in hearing aid non-users and long-term users post-midlife.

The extent of hearing loss requiring hearing aid (HA) to prevent cognitive decline is unclear; we assessed this post-midlife along with the relationship between hearing thresholds and cognitive function in those who had never used HA (non-users) or used HAs for >3 years (long-term users). This study comprised 117 individuals ≥55 years with an average hearing threshold of ≥25 dB HL in their better ear and 55 of the non-users and 62 of the long-term users. The Mini-Mental State Examination, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and pure-tone and sound-field audiometry were assessed.

A Multi-Institutional Study of Older Hearing Aids Beginners-A Prospective Single-Arm Observation on Executive Function and Social Interaction.

Objectives: To obtain new insights into research questions on how executive function and social interaction would be observed to change after the introduction of hearing aids (HAs) in older people with hearing impairment.

Design: Multi-institutional prospective single-arm observational study.

Setting And Participants: Outpatients with complaints of hearing difficulty who visited HA clinics between October 18, 2017, and June 30, 2019, in 7 different university hospitals in Japan.