Association of Cognition and Age-Related Hearing Impairment in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg

Sheffield City Council, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Published: October 2018

Importance: Evidence has linked age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) with cognitive decline; however, very few studies (none in the United Kingdom) explore this link in large well-characterized groups of community-dwelling individuals.

Objective: To investigate the link between ARHI and cognitive decline using a cohort of elderly individuals from the United Kingdom and explore untreated hearing loss and social isolation as potential explanations for the observed link.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional analysis of wave 7 (June 2014 through May 2015) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) sampled men and women 50 years or older and living in the United Kingdom in a community setting. Those with a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer disease, or Parkinson disease or with ear infections and cochlear implants were excluded. Data were analyzed from August 1, 2017, through May 25, 2018.

Main Outcomes And Measures: Memory and executive function as measures of cognitive function and hearing acuity derived from the HearCheck screener device (Siemens).

Results: Of a cohort of 9666 members in wave 7 of ELSA, 7385 were eligible for analysis after applying exclusion criteria (55.1% women; mean [SD] age, 67.4 [9.4] years). Of these, 3056 (41.4%) had mild hearing loss and 755 (10.2%) had severe hearing loss; 834 (11.3%) used a hearing aid; and 7155 (96.9%) were white. Hearing loss had a negative association with cognition; for those with moderate to severe loss, the score on memory assessment was a full 1 point less (-1.00; 95% CI, -1.24 to -0.76), ceteris paribus, relative to those with no hearing loss. However, this association was seen only in the individuals with untreated hearing loss (ie, those who did not use hearing aids) (-1.16; 95% CI, -1.45 to -0.87). Evidence suggests that social isolation acts as a mediating factor.

Conclusions And Relevance: Although hearing loss and cognition are linked, untreated hearing loss drives the association. Social isolation is a mediating factor in the link for those who have untreated hearing loss. Cognitive decline associated with ARHI is probably preventable by early rehabilitation and increased opportunistic screening for the elderly.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6233824PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2018.1656DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hearing loss
36
untreated hearing
16
hearing
14
cognitive decline
12
united kingdom
12
social isolation
12
loss
10
association cognition
8
age-related hearing
8
hearing impairment
8

Similar Publications

Transcriptome sequencing reveals regulatory genes associated with neurogenic hearing loss.

BMC Med Genomics

January 2025

Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, WuHua District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China.

Hearing loss is a prevalent condition with a significant impact on individuals' quality of life. However, comprehensive studies investigating the differential gene expression and regulatory mechanisms associated with hearing loss are lacking, particularly in the context of diverse patient samples. In this study, we integrated data from 10 patients across different regions, age groups, and genders, with their data retrieved from a public transcriptome database, to explore the molecular basis of hearing loss.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Speechreading-gathering speech information from talkers' faces-supports speech perception when speech acoustics are degraded. Benefitting from speechreading, however, requires listeners to visually fixate talkers during face-to-face interactions. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that preschool-aged children allocate their eye gaze to a talker when speech acoustics are degraded.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oligogenic effect is associated with the clinical heterogeneity of autosomal dominant deafness-15.

Sci Rep

January 2025

Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, Hunan, China.

Autosomal dominant deafness-15 which is caused by mutation in the POU4F3 gene, has been reported with a wide degree of clinical heterogeneity, even between intrafamilial members. However, the reason is still elusive. In this study, A four-generation Chinese family with 11 patients manifesting late-onset progressive non-syndromic hearing loss was recruited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Progressive Loss of Cerebral Structures in ALG11-Related Congenital Disorder Glycosylation.

Pediatr Neurol

December 2024

Zickler Family Prenatal Pediatrics Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia. Electronic address:

Background: Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are a group of metabolic disorders related to dysfunctional glycoprotein and glycolipid biosynthesis. ALG11-related CDG is a rare member of this group, characterized by severe neurodevelopmental impairment, progressive microcephaly, sensorineural hearing loss, and epilepsy. The objective of this report is to provide an update on the phenotype and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at age seven years for a patient initially described in early infancy with fetal brain disruption sequence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Griscelli syndrome (GS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by oculocutaneous albinism and variable immune dysfunction. Among three distinct types of GS, occurring due to different genetic mutations; GS type 1 presents with neurological manifestations, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) generally develops in GS type 2, and GS type 3 primarily exhibits oculocutaneous albinism. HLH, a life-threatening condition with excessive immune activation, may occur secondary to various triggers, including infections, and develop in different tissues, as well as in the testis, similar to Erdheim-Chester disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!