Subjective Cognitive Complaints and Hearing Loss in Older Adults-A Cross-Sectional Study on the Possible Association

An association between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been found in many epidemiological and clinical studies but few studies have investigated if objectively measured hearing loss is associated with subjective cognitive complaints. Both factors increase with age and are linked to future cognitive decline/dementia. The aim was to investigate if the degree of subjective cognitive complaints was significantly associated with the level of hearing in older adults. Moreover, to what extent this relationship would persist if factors such as age, cognitive dysfunction, and depression were accounted for. Cognitive Function Instrument (CFI) and Cognitive Change Index (CCI) were applied in 60 community-dwelling adults and 83 audiology clinic patients. Participants were 55 years or older and were assessed with Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), Geriatric Depression Scale, the Logical Memory Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Persons with moderate-to-severe hearing loss had significantly higher scores than persons with normal hearing on CFI and CCI. Significant group differences were also found for tests of episodic memory and processing speed. PTA results were significantly correlated to both CCI (rho = 0.21) and CFI (rho = 0.25). Regression-based models did not show an independent and significant effect of hearing on subjective cognitive complaints when age, sex, depressive symptoms, and cognitive test scores were also included in the analysis. In conclusion, subjective cognitive complaints increase with decreased hearing (as measured by tone detection) but the association seems to be moderated by other factors such as depressive symptoms and neuropsychological test performances.