Lampraki Charikleia, Zuber Sascha, Turoman Nora, Joly-Burra Emilie, Mack Melanie, Laera Gianvito, Scarampi Chiara, Rostekova Adriana, Kliegel Matthias, Ihle Andreas
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Commun Psychol. 2025 Jul 9;3(1):101. doi: 10.1038/s44271-025-00277-8.
Hearing impairment affects a growing number of older adults and is linked to cognitive decline. This study investigated whether profiles of social isolation and loneliness (e.g., non-isolated but lonely) moderate the association between hearing impairment and cognition over time across domains. Using longitudinal data from waves 1-9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we analysed 33,741 individuals (Mage = 61.4, SD = 8.6) using multilevel models accounting for both inter-and intra-individual variability. Results showed that both higher levels and worsening self-reported hearing impairment were associated with lower cognitive performance and steeper decline in episodic memory (immediate and delayed recall) and executive functioning (verbal fluency). Notably, profiles combining social isolation and/or loneliness were linked to lower cognitive performance across domains. Furthermore, for the "non-isolated but lonely" profile hearing impairment was more strongly and negatively associated with episodic memory decline compared to the non-isolated and not lonely profiles. A separate multivariate model confirmed that the moderating role of social isolation and loneliness profiles differed across cognitive domains. Specifically, among individuals in the non-isolated but lonely group, the negative association between hearing impairment and cognition was strongest for episodic memory compared to executive functions. These findings underscore the importance of considering both sensory and psychosocial factors in cognitive aging. Addressing hearing impairment alongside loneliness-even in socially integrated individuals-may be crucial for promoting cognitive health in later life.
听力障碍影响着越来越多的老年人，并且与认知能力下降有关。本研究调查了社会隔离和孤独的不同类型（例如，未隔离但孤独）是否会在不同领域随着时间的推移调节听力障碍与认知之间的关联。利用欧洲健康、老龄化与退休调查（SHARE）第1 - 9轮的纵向数据，我们使用考虑个体间和个体内变异性的多层次模型分析了33741名个体（年龄中位数 = 61.4，标准差 = 8.6）。结果表明，自我报告的听力障碍水平较高以及情况恶化均与较低的认知表现相关，并且情景记忆（即时和延迟回忆）以及执行功能（语言流畅性）的下降更为明显。值得注意的是，结合了社会隔离和/或孤独的类型与各领域较低的认知表现相关。此外，与未隔离且不孤独的类型相比，对于“未隔离但孤独”的类型，听力障碍与情景记忆下降的负相关更为强烈。一个单独的多变量模型证实，社会隔离和孤独类型的调节作用在不同认知领域存在差异。具体而言，在未隔离但孤独的个体组中，与执行功能相比，听力障碍与情景记忆之间的负相关最为强烈。这些发现强调了在认知老化过程中考虑感官因素和心理社会因素的重要性。即使在社会融入良好的个体中，同时解决听力障碍和孤独问题对于促进晚年认知健康可能至关重要。
