Quaranta Nicola, Coppola Francesco, Casulli Mara, Barulli Orietta, Lanza Francesco, Tortelli Rosanna, Capozzo Rosa, Leo Antonio, Tursi Marianna, Grasso Alessandra, Solfrizzi Vincenzo, Sobbà C, Logroscino Giancarlo
Audiol Neurootol. 2014;19 Suppl 1:10-14. doi: 10.1159/000371597. Epub 2015 Feb 20.
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and dementia are two highly prevalent conditions in the adult population. Recent studies have suggested that hearing loss is independently associated with poorer cognitive functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of ARHL and cognitive impairment in a large sample of subjects older than 65 years and to correlate hearing function with cognitive function. A total of 488 subjects older than 65 years (mean age 72.8 years) participating in the Great Age Study underwent a complete audiological, neurological and neuropsychological evaluation as part of a multidisciplinary assessment. The prevalence of a hearing loss greater than 25 dB HL was 64.1%, of Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) was 14.3 and 25.3% of the subjects reported a hearing handicap as reported on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis corrected for gender, age and education duration showed that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was significantly associated with hearing impairment (CAPD and hearing threshold; odds ratio 1.6, p = 0.05) and that Alzheimer's disease (AD) was significantly associated with CAPD (odds ratio 4.2, p = 0.05). Given that up to 80% of patients affected by MCI convert to AD, adding auditory tests to a screening cognitive battery might have value in the early diagnosis of cognitive decline.
年龄相关性听力损失（ARHL）和痴呆是成年人群中两种高度普遍的病症。最近的研究表明，听力损失与较差的认知功能独立相关。本研究的目的是评估65岁以上大量受试者中ARHL和认知障碍的患病率，并将听力功能与认知功能相关联。作为多学科评估的一部分，共有488名65岁以上（平均年龄72.8岁）参与老年研究的受试者接受了全面的听力学、神经学和神经心理学评估。听力损失大于25 dB HL的患病率为64.1%，中枢听觉处理障碍（CAPD）的患病率为14.3%，25.3%的受试者在老年听力障碍筛查问卷上报告有听力障碍。经性别、年龄和教育年限校正的多因素逻辑回归分析表明，轻度认知障碍（MCI）与听力障碍（CAPD和听力阈值）显著相关（比值比1.6，p = 0.05），阿尔茨海默病（AD）与CAPD显著相关（比值比4.2，p = 0.05）。鉴于高达80%的MCI患者会转变为AD，在筛查认知功能的测试组合中增加听觉测试可能对认知衰退的早期诊断有价值。
