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Published on: February 14, 2014
Noise during cognitive tests and older adults' cognitive performance: evidence from India
Yezhen Li1, Clarice Myers2,3, Wuyang Zhang3,4
1Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Background And Objectives:
Noise during cognitive assessments may impact cognitive performance and lead to biases in estimates of dementia prevalence, especially in developing regions where optimal test conditions may be harder to ensure. However, evidence on noise during testing and older adults' cognitive performance remains limited. To fill this gap, this study aimed to analyze the role of noise during cognitive assessments in older adults' cognitive scores, using data from a population-based study in India.
Research Design And Methods:
Using data from the second wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (n = 3,509), we examined the associations between noise during testing and cognitive scores, and whether these associations varied by respondents' hearing ability.
Results:
Noise during testing was significantly associated with lower scores of general cognitive performance and individual cognitive domains. The association between loud noise exposure and cognitive performance was stronger for respondents with normal hearing range and severe hearing loss.
Discussion And Implications:
Noise during assessments may contribute to biases in cognitive performance in population-based surveys. Further research is needed to better understand the implications of noise during cognitive tests.
