Hearing and Vision Impairment Linked to Serious Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

What is your doctor doing post stroke to test these and get proper prescriptions to correct them?

Hearing and Vision Impairment Linked to Serious Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults

Both hearing and vision impairment are independently associated with cognitive impairment in older adults, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

There have been several studies in the past decade linking hearing loss to dementia and cognitive decline, but less attention has been paid to vision loss and dual sensory impairment.

“Given that half of adults with both vision and hearing loss experience serious cognitive problems, sensory loss could be used to help identify those at risk for cognitive decline and dementia,” said Esme Fuller-Thomson, PhD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.

For the study, Dr. Fuller-Thomson and colleagues conducted a secondary analysis of 10 consecutive waves of the American Community Survey (2008-2017). The sample included 5.4 million community-dwelling and institutionalised older adults aged ≥65 years.

After controlling for sex, age, and other socio-demographic characteristics, older adults with hearing impairment had more than double the odds of cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR]  =  2.66), while older adults with only vision impairment had more than triple the odds of cognitive impairment (OR  =  3.63). For older adults with dual sensory impairment, the odds of cognitive impairment were much higher (OR =  8.16).

“Dual sensory impairment prevents an individual from compensating for the loss of one sense through the use of another,” said Aliya Nowczynski, University of Toronto. “Our findings emphasise the need to reach out to older adults with dual sensory impairment, to assess whether there are opportunities for early intervention.”

The authors highlighted the importance of considering treatment options for sensory impairment to support the cognitive health of older adults.

“It is important that we consider the accessibility of common treatments for sensory impairment, such as hearing aids and cataract surgery,” said Andie MacNeil, University of Toronto. “It is possible that those who have difficulty accessing these treatment options will be more vulnerable to cognitive impairment. More research is needed to determine whether interventions for sensory impairment decrease the risk of subsequent cognitive decline.”

Several possible theories that may explain the association between sensory impairment and cognitive impairment include cognitive deterioration due to decreased auditory and visual input, social disengagement and loneliness due to problems communicating, and age-related degeneration of the central nervous system.

“Future research is still needed to determine if the association between sensory impairment and cognitive decline is causal,” concluded Dr. Fuller-Thomson. “Determining the mechanisms that underlie this relationship can help guide the next steps in supporting older adults.”

Reference: https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-reports/adr220005

SOURCE: University of Toronto