The impact of hearing loss on language performance in older adults with different stages of cognitive function

• Published in: Clinical interventions in aging 2015-01, Vol.10, p.695-702
• Main Authors: Lodeiro-Fernández, Leire, Lorenzo-López, Laura, Maseda, Ana, Núñez-Naveira, Laura, Rodríguez-Villamil, José Luis, Millán-Calenti, José Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Adults; Age differences; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Analysis; Animal cognition; auditory impairment; Care and treatment; Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Educational Status; Female; Gerontology; Health aspects; Hearing aids; Hearing loss; Hearing Loss - complications; Hearing protection; Hearing Tests; Humans; Language; Language Tests; Male; Memory; Names; Older people; Original Research; Risk factors; Speech Perception; verbal function
• ISSN: 1178-1998; 1176-9092; 1178-1998
• DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S81260

The possible relationship between audiometric hearing thresholds and cognitive performance on language tests was analyzed in a cross-sectional cohort of older adults aged ≥65 years (N=98) with different degrees of cognitive impairment. Participants were distributed into two groups according to Reisberg's Global Deterioration Scale (GDS): a normal/predementia group (GDS scores 1-3) and a moderate/moderately severe dementia group (GDS scores 4 and 5). Hearing loss (pure-tone audiometry) and receptive and production-based language function (Verbal Fluency Test, Boston Naming Test, and Token Test) were assessed. Results showed that the dementia group achieved significantly lower scores than the predementia group in all language tests. A moderate negative correlation between hearing loss and verbal comprehension (r=-0.298; P