Graduate Program in Human Communication Disorders, Speech and Hearing Department, Medical School of the University of São Paulo, UNIFESP/EPM, Brazil.
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2013 Mar-Apr;79(2):177-84. doi: 10.5935/1808-8694.20130032.
Studies have shown that elderly people with cognitive impairments benefit more from hearing aids with slower recovery times.
To study participation constraints and speech recognition in noise of elderly subjects equipped with hearing aids of different recovery times according to cognitive impairment status.
Fifty subjects aged between 60 and 80 years were followed for four months. They were divided at first in groups of individuals without (G1; n = 24) and with (G2; n = 26) cognitive impairment based on results of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale -Cognitive Sub-scale test. Half the members of each group received hearing aids with faster recovery times and half got slower recovery aids, thus forming four groups: two without cognitive impairment (faster recovery - G1F; slower recovery - G1S) and two suspected for cognitive impairment (faster recovery - G2F; slower recovery - G2S). All subjects were interviewed, submitted to basic audiological assessment, asked to answer the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly questionnaire, and tested for speech recognition in noise. ANOVA, McNemar's test, and the Chi-square test were applied. The significance level was set at 5%.
There was significant improvement in participation constraint and speech recognition in noise with hearing aids alone. Sub-group G2F needed more favorable signal-to-noise ratios to recognize 50% of the speech in noise.
Participation constraint and speech recognition in noise were improved regardless of recovery times or cognitive impairment status.
研究表明，认知障碍的老年人从恢复时间较慢的助听器中获益更多。
根据认知障碍状况，研究不同恢复时间助听器对老年受试者参与限制和噪声下言语识别的影响。
对 50 名年龄在 60 至 80 岁之间的受试者进行了四个月的随访。首先，根据阿尔茨海默病评估量表认知分量表测试的结果，将他们分为无认知障碍组（G1；n=24）和有认知障碍组（G2；n=26）。每组的一半成员配备恢复时间较快的助听器，另一半则配备恢复时间较慢的助听器，从而形成四个组：两组无认知障碍（恢复时间较快-G1F；恢复时间较慢-G1S）和两组疑似认知障碍（恢复时间较快-G2F；恢复时间较慢-G2S）。所有受试者均接受了访谈、基本听力学评估、要求回答老年人听力障碍问卷，并进行了噪声下言语识别测试。应用了方差分析、McNemar 检验和卡方检验。显著性水平设为 5%。
单独使用助听器可显著改善参与限制和噪声下的言语识别。亚组 G2F 需要更有利的信噪比才能识别噪声中 50%的言语。
无论恢复时间或认知障碍状况如何，参与限制和噪声下的言语识别都得到了改善。
