Related Experiment Videos
A Longitudinal Study of Peripheral and Central Auditory Function in Alzheimer's Disease and in Mild Cognitive
Jenny Häggström1,2, Ulf Rosenhall1,2, Christina Hederstierna1,2
1Department of Audiology and Neurotology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background/Aim:
Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) might precede the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A method of evaluating CAPD is the dichotic digits test (DDT). The aim was to address this in a longitudinal setting.
Methods:
A total of 136 individuals were assessed with peripheral and central hearing tests at baseline and at 5-year follow-up.
Results:
Subjects with AD showed a significant decline in DDT scores of the right ear from baseline to follow-up. The other groups retained high DDT scores. Peripheral auditory function declined as expected according to age.
Conclusions:
Our study indicates that DDT performance reflects an ongoing process resulting in dementia.