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Review
. 2024 Jun 24;21(1):17.
doi: 10.1186/s11556-024-00350-x.

The impact of cognitive-motor interference on balance and gait in hearing-impaired older adults: a systematic review

Anna Wunderlich #  1 , Bettina Wollesen #  2 , Janek Asamoah  2 , Kim Delbaere  3   4 , Karen Li  5
Affiliations
Review

The impact of cognitive-motor interference on balance and gait in hearing-impaired older adults: a systematic review

Anna Wunderlich et al. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: Hearing impairments are a rising burden in our aging society. Hearing loss is associated with reduced cognitive performance as well as decrements in balance and gait. Therefore, impaired hearing affects also dual tasking (DT). The aim of this review is to summarize the evidence for DT performance decrements of older adults with hearing impairments during maintaining balance or walking.

Methods: The systematic literature research according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted using MEDLINE, APA Psych-Info, and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria were: Independent living older people ≥ 60 years with hearing impairments, use of a DT paradigm to test hearing impaired older adults within a balance or walking condition.

Results: N = 57 studies were found within the databases. Eight studies were included (N = 456 participants (58% women), including n = 200 older hearing-impaired persons with different levels of hearing loss). Most of the included studies oriented their inclusion criteria for hearing-impairments at thresholds for mild hearing loss with Pure Tone Average (0.5-4 kHz) ≥ 25 and < 40 dB. Three of the studies focused on DT balance performance and five used DT walking comparing participants with and without hearing loss. For DT balance and gait performance, higher decrements for the hearing-impaired group were observed compared to healthy older adults. Performance decrements were accompanied by reduced compensatory strategies in balance performance.

Conclusion: More pronounced decrements in DT performance were observed for participants with hearing impairments compared to those without. This implies that hearing-impaired older adults might need specific interventions to reduce the cognitive-motor interference (CMI) to maintain balance control or walking stability in daily situations that require managing of cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously. However, taking all results into account the underlying mechanisms of CMI for this target group needs to be further examined.

Trial registration: This review was registered at Prospero with the ID CRD42022340232.

Keywords: Balance; Cognitive-motor interference; Gait; Hearing loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

No issues regarding the journal policies.

All authors declare no competing interests.

All authors approved the manuscript for submission.

The content of the systematic review has not been published, or submitted for publication elsewhere.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of screening stages after initial search
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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