In Middle-Aged Adults, Cognitive Performance Improves After One Year of Auditory Rehabilitation with a Cochlear Implant.

Background/

Objectives

Hearing impairment in middle-aged adults is a significant, modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, and therapy with hearing aids or cochlear implants has been suggested to reduce this risk. However, most research on auditory rehabilitation and cognition has focused on older adults, and evidence regarding cognitive outcomes in middle-aged adults remains scarce despite this group being identified as critical for dementia prevention. Thus, this study aimed to assess cognitive skills in middle-aged hearing-impaired individuals 1 year after receiving a cochlear implant (CI) as part of auditory rehabilitation.

Methods

Thirty-two patients with a mean age of 52.4 were enrolled in a prospective pre-post study. Hearing was tested using the Freiburg Monosyllable Test (FS) and the Oldenburg Inventory (OI). Cognitive performance was assessed using the WAIS-IV, operationalized through the Working Memory Index (Digit Span, Arithmetic) and Processing Speed Index (Symbol Search, Coding). Quality of life was assessed with the NCIQ, tinnitus-related distress with the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), and depressive symptoms with the ADS-L.

Results

After one year, speech intelligibility (FS) improved from a median of 0 to 70.0 (Wilcoxon Z = -4.864, p < 0.001, r = -0.61), and subjective hearing from a median of 2.55 to 3.18 (Wilcoxon Z = -3.072, p = 0.002). The NCIQ score increased from 52.3 to 60.6 (Z = -3.899, p < 0.001), and tinnitus-related distress decreased from 25 to 21 (Wilcoxon Z = -2.209, p = 0.027). Depressive symptoms declined numerically, although this change did not reach statistical significance. Working memory improved from 82.0 to 89.0 (Wilcoxon Z = -4.090, p < 0.001), and processing speed from 89.5 to 95.5 (Wilcoxon Z = -2.533, p = 0.011). Before CI, WMI and PSI showed a strong correlation (ρ = 0.533, p = 0.002), and WMI correlated moderately with education level (ρ = 0.452, p = 0.012). One year after CI, correlations strengthened between PSI and NCIQ (ρ = 0.510, p = 0.006), PSI and OI (ρ = 0.400, p = 0.039), and WMI and TQ (ρ = -0.459, p = 0.021), indicating emerging associations between cognitive outcomes and auditory or psychosocial measures.

Conclusions

One year of CI-based auditory rehabilitation improves auditory function, quality of life, tinnitus distress, and-critically-working memory and processing speed in middle-aged adults. These findings address a previously unfilled research gap and support the relevance of CIs for preserving cognitive health during midlife.