Abstract
Objectives: To test whether hearing aid use alters cognitive trajectories in older adults. Design: US population-based longitudinal cohort study. Setting: Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which measured cognitive performance repeatedly every 2 years over 18 years (1996–2014). Participants: Adults aged 50 and older who who took part in a minimum of 3 waves of the HRS and used hearing aids for the first time between Waves 4 and 11 (N=2,040). Measurements: Cognitive outcomes were based on episodic memory scores determined according to the sum of immediate and delayed recall of 10 words. Results: Hearing aid use was positively associated with episodic memory scores (β=1.53, p<.001). Decline in episodic memory scores was slower after (β=–0.02, p<.001) than before using hearing aids (β=–0.1, p<.001). These results were robust to adjustment for multiple confounders and to attrition, as accounted for using a joint model. Conclusions: Hearing aids may have a mitigating effect on trajectories of cognitive decline in later life. Providing hearing aids or other rehabilitative services for hearing impairment much earlier in the course of hearing impairment may stem the worldwide rise of dementia.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1130-1136 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study forms part of the SENSE-Cog multi-phase research program, funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 program. SENSE-Cog aims to promote mental well-being in older adults with sensory and cognitive impairments (http://www.sense-cog.eu/). The goal of the first work package of this project is to better understand the links between sensory, cognitive, and mental health in older Europeans.
Funding Information:
1Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT—Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway 3University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team LEHA, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France 4Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus 5Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 6Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 7Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 8Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom 9Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, UMPC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France 10R&D Life and Vision Science, Essilor International, Paris, France 11Cardiovascular Research Group-UNN, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT—Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway 12Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 13Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT—Arctic Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway 14Department of Ophthalmology, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway Financial Disclosure: This work was supported by the SENSE-Cog project, which has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 668648.
Funding Information:
The SENSE-Cog WP1 group are Geir Bertelsen,1,2 Suzanne Cosh,3 Audrey Cougnard-Gr?goire,3 C?cile Delcourt,3 Fofi Constantinidou,4 Catherine Helmer,3 M. Arfan Ikram,5,6 Caroline CW Klaver,5,7 Iracema Leroi,8 Magda Meester-Smor,5,7 Unal Mutlu,5,7 Virginie Nael,3,9,10 Henrik Schirmer,11 Henning Tiemeier,5,12 Therese von Hanno.13,14 1Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT?Arctic University of Norway, Troms?, Norway 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of North Norway, Troms?, Norway 3University of Bordeaux, Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, Team LEHA, UMR 1219, Bordeaux, France 4Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus 5Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 6Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 7Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 8Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom 9Vision Institute, Sorbonne University, UMPC University of Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France 10R&D Life and Vision Science, Essilor International, Paris, France 11Cardiovascular Research Group-UNN, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT?Arctic University of Norway, Troms?, Norway 12Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 13Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT?Arctic Arctic University of Norway, Troms?, Norway 14Department of Ophthalmology, Nordland Hospital, Bod?, Norway Financial Disclosure: This work was supported by the SENSE-Cog project, which has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 668648. Conflict of Interest: The authors have no financial or any other kind of personal conflicts with this paper. Authors Contributions: AM, GT, JN, PD, NP: study design. AM: data analysis. GT, JN, PD, NP: statistical design of study. AM, GT, JN, PD, NP: interpretation of data, writing manuscript. All authors: critical review, intellectual content of manuscript. AM had full access to all the data in the study, and all authors had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. Sponsor's Role: None.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society
