BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic condition faced by older adults and has been linked to difficulties in speech perception, activities of daily living, and social interaction. Recent studies have suggested a correlation between severity of hearing loss and an individual's cognitive function; however, a causative link has yet to be established. One intervention option for management of the most severe to profound hearing loss in older adults is cochlear implantation. We performed a review to determine the status of the literature on the potential influence of cochlear implantation on cognition in the older adult population. METHODS: Over 3800 articles related to cochlear implants, cognition, and older adults were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) study population including adults > 65 years, (2) intervention with cochlear implantation, and (3) cognition as the primary outcome measure of implantation. RESULTS: Out of 3,886 studies selected, 3 met inclusion criteria for the review. CONCLUSIONS: While many publications have shown that cochlear implants improve speech perception, social functioning, and overall quality of life, we found no studies in the English literature that have prospectively evaluated changes in cognitive function after implantation with modern cochlear implants in older adults. The state of the current literature reveals a need for further clinical research on the impact of cochlear implantation on cognition in older adults.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/610290 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Miller, Gina, Miller, Craig, Marrone, Nicole, Howe, Carol, Fain, Mindy, Jacob, Abraham |
| Contributors | The University of Arizona Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona College of Medicine, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Arizona Center on Aging, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Arizona Ear Institute, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, The University of Arizona Cancer Center, The University of Arizona Bio5 Institute |
| Publisher | BioMed Central Ltd |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article |
| Rights | © 2015 Miller et al.; licensee BioMed Central. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) |
| Relation | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/15/16 |
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