Hearing loss and verbal memory assessment among older adults.

Objective: Research has found that adults with hearing loss perform worse on cognitive testing than adults without hearing loss; however, heavy emphasis on tests involving auditory stimuli may overdiagnose cognitive impairment among individuals with hearing loss. This study compared visual- and auditory-verbal memory tests among adults with and without hearing loss.

Method: Forty-one adults with hearing loss (HL) and 41 age-matched adults with normal hearing (NH) completed a neuropsychological battery that included auditory and visual versions of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Testing-Revised (HVLT-R).

Bilateral hearing loss heralding sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a case report and literature review.

Objective: To report a case of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with bilateral hearing loss at onset and literature review of the scarce cases of CJD with similar audiologic manifestations at presentation.

Case Report: A 67-yr-old man presented to the hospital for evaluation of rapid progression of behavioral decline, unsteady gait, and bilateral hearing loss. Three months before admission, he abruptly developed bilateral hypoacusis without associated tinnitus or vertigo.

Hearing aid use among older U.S. adults; the national health and nutrition examination survey, 2005-2006 and 2009-2010.

Objectives: The authors estimated the proportion of older adults in the United States who report hearing aid use among those likely to benefit. To more fully understand what factors underlie the low proportion of hearing aid use, the authors examined a variety of socio-demographic correlates as well as measures of health care access and insurance status in relation to hearing aid use among potential hearing aid candidates.

Design: The study makes use of cross-sectional data collected during 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Communication outcomes in audiologic reporting.

Background: Audiologists often work collaboratively with other health professionals-particularly otolaryngology providers. Some form of written reporting of audiologic outcomes is typically the vehicle by which communication among providers occurs. Quality patient care is dependent on both accurate interpretation of outcomes and effectiveness of communication between providers.