Abstract
Hearing impairment has been recently identified as a major modifiable risk factor
for cognitive decline in later life and has been becoming of increasing
scientific interest. Sensory and cognitive decline are connected by complex
bottom-up and top-down processes, a sharp distinction between sensation,
perception, and cognition is impossible. This review provides a comprehensive
overview on the effects of healthy and pathological aging on auditory as well as
cognitive functioning on speech perception and comprehension, as well as
specific auditory deficits in the 2 most common neurodegenerative diseases in
old age: Alzheimer disease and Parkinson syndrome. Hypotheses linking hearing
loss to cognitive decline are discussed, and current knowledge on the effect of
hearing rehabilitation on cognitive functioning is presented. This article
provides an overview of the complex relationship between hearing and cognition
in old age.
Key words
age related hearing loss - presbycusis - central auditory processing disorder - neurocognitive
disorder - Alzheimer disease - Parkinson syndrome - hearing rehabilitation
