Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Apr 20:13:701-712.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S160517. eCollection 2018.

Can cochlear implantation improve neurocognition in the aging population?

Christiane Völter  1 , Lisa Götze  1 , Stefan Dazert  1 , Michael Falkenstein  2   3 , Jan Peter Thomas  1
Affiliations

Can cochlear implantation improve neurocognition in the aging population?

Christiane Völter et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship between cognition and the ability to hear is well known. Due to changes in demographics, the number of people with sensorineural hearing loss and cognitive impairment is increasing. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of hearing rehabilitation via cochlear implantation on cognitive decline among the aging population.

Patients and methods: This prospective study included 60 subjects aged between 50 and 84 years (mean 65.8 years, SD=8.9) with a severe to profound bilateral hearing impairment. A computer-based evaluation of short- and long-term memory, processing speed, attention, working memory and inhibition was performed prior to surgery as well as 6 and 12 months after cochlear implantation. Additionally, speech perception at 65 and 80 dB (Freiburger monosyllabic speech test) as well as disease-related (Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire) and general (WHOQOL-OLD) quality of life were assessed.

Results: Six months postimplantation, speech perception, quality of life and also neurocognitive abilities significantly increased. The most remarkable improvement after 6 months was detected in executive functions such as attention (p<0.001), inhibition (p=0.025) and working memory (n-back: p=0.002; operation span task: p=0.008), followed by delayed recall (p=0.03). In contrast, long-term memory showed a significant change of performance only after 12 months (p=0.021). After 6 months, most cognitive domains remained stable, except working memory assessed by the operation span task, which significantly improved between 6 and 12 months (p<0.001). No correlation was found between cognitive results and duration of deafness, speech perception or quality of life.

Conclusion: Cochlear implantation does not only lead to better speech perception and quality of life, but has also been shown to improve cognitive skills in hearing impaired adults aged 50 years or more. These effects seem to be independent of each other.

Keywords: aging; cochlear implantation; hearing rehabilitation; neurocognition.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure CV has received travel expense support from MedEL, SD has received third party funds, payment for lectures and travel expense support from MedEL, and JPT has received travel expense support and payment for lectures from MedEL. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Demographic data showing the number of participants and gender distribution for each age group in 60 patients who underwent testing prior to cochlear implantation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean performance prior to implantation (t1) and at 6 months postimplantation (t2) for n=33 subjects. Note: Parentheses with * indicate significance of p<0.05. Abbreviations: IE, inverse efficiency; OSPAN, operation span task.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean performance IE prior to implantation (t1) and at 6 months (t2) and 12 months (t3) postimplantation for n=20 subjects. Note: Parentheses with * indicate significance of p<0.05. Abbreviations: IE, inverse efficiency; OSPAN, operation span task.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean scores for the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire prior to implantation (t1) and at 6 months (t2) and 12 months (t3) postimplantation for n=20 subjects. Note: Parentheses with * indicate significance of p<0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. United Nations . World population ageing 1950–2050. World Assembly on Ageing; 2002. [Accessed December 20, 2017]. Available from: https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldageing19502050/
    1. Roth TN, Hanebuth D, Probst R. Prevalence of age-related hearing loss in Europe: a review. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2011;268(8):1101–1107. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gablenz P von, Holube I. Prevalence of hearing impairment in northwestern Germany. Results of an epidemiological study on hearing status (HORSTAT) HNO. 2015;63(3):195–214. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia Deafness and Hearing Impairment Survey–Report of the Consultative Meeting of Principal Investigators SEARO; New Delhi. 7–9 May 2001; New Delhi, India: WHO;
    1. Yesavage JA, O’Hara R, Kraemer H, et al. Modeling the prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. J Psychiatr Res. 2002;36(5):281–286. - PubMed

MeSH terms