The cognitive cost of age-related hearing loss

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) or presbycusis is a bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment associated with aging of the structures of the inner ear and auditory pathways and is the most common cause of acquired hearing loss in older adults. Presbycusis is a disabling condition that affects communication and quality of life, and has been associated with poorer cognitive performance. This study aimed to examine the association between ARHL, cognitive screening performance, and hearing-related quality of life in older adults.

This single-center prospective observational study with cross-sectional analysis included 60 participants aged 60 years and older: 40 patients with presbycusis and 20 control participants with normal hearing or mild hearing loss. Hearing threshold was examined using pure-tone audiometry and expressed as the Pure Tone Average (PTA). Cognitive function was screened using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and quality of life was evaluated using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version (HHIE-S) questionnaire.

On cognitive screening, most patients with age-related hearing loss scored in the range suggestive of cognitive impairment, and 90% reported reduced hearing-related quality of life. Statistically significant correlations were observed between PTA and both MoCA and MMSE scores, suggesting that hearing threshold is strongly associated with cognitive status. Exploratory analyses also suggested an association between self-reported duration of hearing loss and cognitive screening results, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously.

In this sample of older adults, worse hearing thresholds were associated with poorer performance on cognitive screening instruments and with lower hearing-related quality of life. These findings support further investigation of early hearing assessment and rehabilitation in older adults, and indicate the necessity of effective and timely auditory amplification, even in individuals with moderate hearing loss.