Objectives:The aims of this study were to compare the performance related to audiometric, cognitive function, and depression variables between the elderly with mild-to-moderate hearing handicap and the elderly with severe hearing handicap, to identify which factors are correlated with their self-perceived hearing handicap, and to determine which factors can distinguish the elderly with mild-to-moderate hearing handicap from the elderly with severe hearing handicap. Methods: A total of 22 elderly patients with moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss participated in this study. The Korean version of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (K-HHIE) was administered to obtain their hearing handicap scores. All patients underwent audiometric, cognitive function, and depression assessments. Results: We found a significant differences in the average hearing threshold, sentence recognition scores in noise, and depression scores between the two groups. The scores of the K-HHIE significantly correlated with the average hearing threshold, sentence recognition scores in noise, and depression scores in all elderly patients with hearing loss. In the logistic regression analysis, sentence recognition scores of +5 dB SNR were a significant factor for differentiating between the two groups. Conclusion: The hearing threshold, speech perception in noise, and depression level are significantly associated with self-perceived hearing handicap in the elderly with moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss. These results indicate that audiometric and depression assessments are need to provide appropriate auditory-habilitation services for cognitively normal elderly with moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly with hearing impairment.Methods: We studied 23 hearing-impaired elderly persons aged 60 years or older. The participants underwent audiometric, neuropsychological, and depression assessments. Neuropsychological tests were subsumed in specific cognitive domains (general cognition, semantic memory, processing speed, executive function). The short version of the geriatric depression scale was administered to obtain depressive symptom scores for each subject.Results: First, among audiometric variables, the pure-tone threshold average, sentence-in-noise recognition scores, and hearing handicap scores were significantly correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Second, among neuropsychological variables, the reaction time on the part A of the Korean version of trail making test for the elderly (K-TMT-E), which is reflective of processing speed, was correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Also, the reaction time on the part B of the K-TMT-E, which is reflective of executive function, was correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Lastly, in the stepwise regression analysis, the pure-tone threshold average and the reaction time on the part B of the K-TMT-E were found to be factors significantly associated with depressive symptom scores.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, for the hearing-impaired elderly, hearing threshold levels and executive function, especially cognitive flexibility are significant factors associated with depression levels.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of immersive virtual reality (VR)-based cognitive training in older adults with hearing impairment. Participants were three older adults with hearing impairment. Three assessment tools, audiometric, neuropsychological, and outcome measurements of the subjective hearing handicap inventory for the elderly, were examined before and after the VR cognitive training. The VR cognitive training was conducted once per week for 6 weeks and consisted of five different VR games classified into three specific cognitive domains (attention, memory, and executive function). The improved VR game performances were constantly observed across the training sessions in all three participants. After the VR cognitive training, first, the scores on the forward digit span test (attention), immediate recall on the SVLT-E (memory), and word reading and color reading on the K-CWST (executive function) were improved for all participants. In addition, the reaction time on the K-TMT-E (executive function) was shortened. Second, the sentence recognition scores in adverse listening conditions (SNR 0 dB and -5 dB) were improved. Third, the Korean version of hearing handicap inventory for the elderly (K-HHIE) scores which are reflective of subjective hearing handicap were decreased. Preventive intervention for cognitive deficits in older adults with hearing impairment is needed because hearing impairment is one of the major risk factors for dementia in older age. In this respect, the present case study demonstrates that VR cognitive training could improve cognitive function, speech-in-noise perception, and subjective hearing handicap in the hearing-impaired elderly.

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The purpose of this study was to compare word reading performance according to word condition between cognitively normal elderly and elderly with mild cognitive impairment. Methods: We studied 21 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 21 age-, sex-, and educationmatched cognitively normal older adults. Participants were asked to administer a reading aloud task under four different word conditions