Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkiye.
Clinical Audiologist, Karabuk Training and Research Hospital, Karabuk, Turkiye.
Brain Behav. 2024 Nov;14(11):e70114. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70114.
Cognitive decline is a common challenge faced by older individuals with presbycusis; their performance on dual-task (DT) activities is generally lower compared to those without hearing loss. However, the influence of hearing aids on nonauditory cognitive decline in this population remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect of hearing aids on nonauditory DT performance in older adults with presbycusis.
This study included older people with presbycusis who used hearing aids (P&HA group), those with presbycusis who did not use hearing aids (PoHA group), and a control group of healthy adults. Forward and backward digit span tests and timed up and go test (TUG) were administered to all individuals. TUG and motor and cognitive (forward and backward digit span) tasks were applied simultaneously to evaluate the participants' DT performance.
The study comprised 60 individuals with presbycusis (19 females, 41 males; mean age: 73.23 ± 6.49 years) and 30 healthy adults (15 females, 15 males; mean age: 35.93 ± 8.57 years). Healthy adults performed better than the P&HA and PoHA groups in all the administered tests (p < 0.05). There was a moderate negative relationship between the severity of hearing loss and the forward and backward digit span test performances (p < 0.05). The P&HA group performed better than the PoHA group on the DT cognitive forward and backward digit span tests.
The use of hearing aids and their proper fitting are important not only for improving communication skills and reducing listening effort but also for supporting nonauditory cognitive functions, minimizing the risk of falls during DT activities, and enhancing the overall quality of life.
认知能力下降是患有 presbycusis 的老年人面临的常见挑战；与没有听力损失的人相比，他们在双重任务 (DT) 活动中的表现通常较低。然而，助听器对该人群非听觉认知能力下降的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在调查助听器对患有 presbycusis 的老年人非听觉 DT 表现的影响。
本研究包括使用助听器的 presbycusis 老年人 (P&HA 组)、未使用助听器的 presbycusis 老年人 (PoHA 组) 和健康成年人对照组。所有个体均进行顺背和倒背数字广度测试以及计时起身和行走测试 (TUG)。同时进行 TUG 和运动及认知（顺背和倒背数字广度）任务，以评估参与者的 DT 表现。
该研究包括 60 名 presbycusis 患者（19 名女性，41 名男性；平均年龄：73.23 ± 6.49 岁）和 30 名健康成年人（15 名女性，15 名男性；平均年龄：35.93 ± 8.57 岁）。健康成年人在所有进行的测试中表现均优于 P&HA 和 PoHA 组（p<0.05）。听力损失的严重程度与顺背和倒背数字广度测试表现呈中度负相关（p<0.05）。P&HA 组在 DT 认知顺背和倒背数字广度测试中表现优于 PoHA 组。
助听器的使用及其正确适配不仅对改善沟通能力和降低聆听努力很重要，而且对支持非听觉认知功能、最大限度地降低 DT 活动中跌倒的风险以及提高整体生活质量也很重要。
