Potential overestimation of cognitive impairment because of hearing loss: impact of test modalities on cognitive test scores.

OBJECTIVE

Hearing impairment in older adults may affect cognitive function and increase the risk of dementia. Most cognitive tests are delivered auditorily, and individuals with hearing loss may fail to hear verbal instructions. Greater listening difficulty and fatigue in acoustic conditions may impact test performance. This study aimed to examine the effect of decreased audibility on cognitive screening test performance in older adults.

METHOD: Older adults (n = 63) with different levels of hearing loss completed a standard auditory Mini-Mental State Examination test and a written version of the test.

RESULTS

Individuals with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss (41-70 dB) performed significantly better on the written (24.34 ± 4.90) than on the standard test (22.55 ± 6.25), whereas scores were not impacted for mild hearing loss (less than 40 dB).

CONCLUSION

Hearing evaluations should be included in cognitive assessment, and test performance should be carefully interpreted in individuals with hearing loss to avoid overestimating cognitive decline.