The association between cognitive functioning in the elderly and measurement of auditory performance

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between cognitive functioning and auditory performance in older persons. Respondents were community-dwelling elderly (age ≥ 65 years). Data were collected as part of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) and were analyzed using multiple regression models (N=1098 of whom N=607 had longitudinal data). Cognitive measures were used to assess general cognitive functioning (Mini-Mental State Examination) (MMSE), information processing speed (Coding Task), fluid intelligence (Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices) and episodic memory (15 Words Test). The Speech-in-noise test (SNT) by Smits et al. (2004) was used to assess auditory performance. Adjusted cross-sectional models showed a significant negative association between lower levels of cognitive functioning and poorer auditory performance. This means that when cognitive scores are lower, SNT-scores are higher, indicating poorer hearing. The strongest association appeared between the MMSE and the SNT. Adjusted longitudinal models showed an unexpected significant, yet small association between the differences in MMSE-scores and the differences in SNT-scores, which remained absent for other the cognitive tests. This indicates that a decrease in MMSE-score over three years of follow-up is associated with a decrease in SNT-score over three years of follow-up, indicating better hearing, and vice versa. The significant longitudinal association found for the MMSE was unexpected and needs further investigation. All other longitudinal analyses yielded no significant results. The current results suggest that the cross-sectional association between cognitive functioning and auditory performance is evident, but that a longitudinal association between differences seems absent.