The Age-Related Central Auditory Processing Disorder: Silent Impairment of the Cognitive Ear

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also called presbycusis, is a progressive disorder affecting hearing functions and among the elderly has been recognized as the third most frequent condition. Among ARHL components, the age-related central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) refers to changes in the auditory network, negatively impacting auditory perception and/or the speech communication performance. The relationship between auditory-perception and speech communication difficulties in age-related CAPD is difficult to establish, mainly because many older subjects have concomitant peripheral ARHL and age-related cognitive changes. In the last two decades, the association between cognitive impairment and ARHL has received great attention. Peripheral ARHL has recently been defined as the modifiable risk factor with the greatest impact on the development of dementia. Even if very few studies have analyzed the relationship between cognitive decline and age-related CAPD, a strong association was highlighted. Therefore, age-related CAPD could be a specific process related to neurodegeneration. Since these two disorders can be concomitant, drawing causal inferences is difficult. The assumption that ARHL, particularly age-related CAPD, may increase the risk of cognitive impairment in the elderly remains unchallenged. This review aims to summarize the evidence of associations between age-related CAPD and cognitive disorders and to define the diagnostic procedure of CAPD in the elderly. Finally, we highlight the importance of tailoring the rehabilitation strategy to this relationship. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes and the use of adequate assessment tools that can disentangle cognitive dysfunction from sensory impairments are warranted.

Does Treating Hearing Loss in Older Adults Improve Cognitive Outcomes? A Review

“…Such results have been gathered from studies considering hearing loss either with audiometric measures [15,27,28], speech recognition tests [29], or indirect/self-reported measures [30][31][32]. Although most of the studies considered peripheral hearing loss, the link between age-related central auditory processing disorder [33] and cognitive decline and/or dementia has also been reported by two longitudinal studies [34,35].…”

Auditive Verarbeitung und Wahrnehmung bei Jugendlichen mit Kommunikationsbeeinträchtigungen

“…Es gibt wesentlich weniger Forschung zur auditiven Verarbeitung und Wahrnehmung von Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen als von Kindern, obwohl viele Tests für die AVWS-Diagnostik ursprünglich aus dem Erwachsenenbereich kommen 29 . In letzter Zeit rückt zwar die auditive Verarbeitung und Wahrnehmung in der älteren Bevölkerung vermehrt in den Fokus: So zeigten sich in Längsschnittstudien altersabhängige AVWS als spezifische Prozesse der Neurodegeneration, die ein Vorbote für eingeschränkte kognitive Funktionen und Demenz wie Alzheimer sein können 30 31 . Es gibt jedoch bis dato nur wenige Studien, die sich entweder mit jungen Erwachsenen mit AVWS beschäftigen oder die Patienten im weiteren Lebensverlauf untersuchen, die als Kinder eine AVWS-Diagnose erhalten haben 7 11 32 .…”

Smartphone Apps in the Context of Tinnitus: Systematic Review

“…Age-related physiologic changes, for example, degeneration of sensory receptor cells, are one common cause of disorders of the sensory systems, like the auditory system [4]. Further age-related changes have been identified in auditory processing in the brain and may be related to the generation of dementia [5,6]. Besides the increased risk of tinnitus with higher age, elder persons have also been shown to experience more tinnitus-related distress which is theorized to be related to decreased compensatory brain plasticity [7].…”