Javier de la Fuente1,2,3, Jacob Hjelmborg4,5, Mette Wod4,5, Alejandro de la Torre-Luque1,2,3, Francisco Félix Caballero6,7, Kaare Christensen4,5, José Luis Ayuso-Mateos1,2,3. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 2. Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Princesa (IIS Princesa), Madrid, Spain. 3. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) of Mental Health, Madrid, Spain. 4. Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 5. Department of Public Health, The Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 6. Department of Preventive Medicine, Public Health, and Microbiology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. 7. CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Although visual and hearing impairments have been found to be associated with cognitive decline in the old age, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed at assessing the predictive role of visual and hearing difficulties on subsequent cognitive functioning. METHOD: From the cohort of the first (2002) and fifth waves (2010) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), 3,508 individuals aged 60 and older were included in the study. Five self-reported visual and hearing functioning items were used to assess sensory functioning at baseline. Cognition was assessed 8 years later by means of four measured tests covering immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency, and processing speed. A Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes approach was used to assess the longitudinal associations of visual and hearing functioning with cognitive difficulties. A multigroup longitudinal measurement invariance was used to estimate latent change in cognitive difficulties across groups of participants presenting either visual, hearing, or dual sensory impairment (i.e., those reporting difficulties in both visual and hearing functioning items). RESULTS: Visual (β = 0.140, p < .001) and hearing (β = 0.115, p < .001) difficulties predicted cognitive difficulties 8 years later. The latent increase in cognitive difficulties was steeper in people with visual impairment (d = 0.52, p < .001), hearing impairment (d = 0.50, p < .001), and dual-sensory impairment (d = 0.68, p < .001) than those non-impaired (d = 0.12, p < .001). DISCUSSION: Visual and hearing difficulties were identified as predictors of subsequent cognitive decline in the old age. Interventions to prevent visual and hearing difficulties may have a substantial impact to slow down subsequent age-related cognitive decline.
OBJECTIVES: Although visual and hearing impairments have been found to be associated with cognitive decline in the old age, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed at assessing the predictive role of visual and hearing difficulties on subsequent cognitive functioning. METHOD: From the cohort of the first (2002) and fifth waves (2010) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), 3,508 individuals aged 60 and older were included in the study. Five self-reported visual and hearing functioning items were used to assess sensory functioning at baseline. Cognition was assessed 8 years later by means of four measured tests covering immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency, and processing speed. A Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes approach was used to assess the longitudinal associations of visual and hearing functioning with cognitive difficulties. A multigroup longitudinal measurement invariance was used to estimate latent change in cognitive difficulties across groups of participants presenting either visual, hearing, or dual sensory impairment (i.e., those reporting difficulties in both visual and hearing functioning items). RESULTS: Visual (β = 0.140, p < .001) and hearing (β = 0.115, p < .001) difficulties predicted cognitive difficulties 8 years later. The latent increase in cognitive difficulties was steeper in people with visual impairment (d = 0.52, p < .001), hearing impairment (d = 0.50, p < .001), and dual-sensory impairment (d = 0.68, p < .001) than those non-impaired (d = 0.12, p < .001). DISCUSSION: Visual and hearing difficulties were identified as predictors of subsequent cognitive decline in the old age. Interventions to prevent visual and hearing difficulties may have a substantial impact to slow down subsequent age-related cognitive decline.
Authors: Lubaina T Arsiwala; Xinxing Guo; Pradeep Y Ramulu; A Richey Sharrett; Aleksandra Mihailovic; Bonnielin K Swenor; Thomas Mosley; YaNan Dong; Alison G Abraham Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2022-10-06 Impact factor: 6.591
Authors: Viktor Gkotzamanis; Giorgos Koliopanos; Albert Sanchez-Niubo; Beatriz Olaya; Francisco Félix Caballero; José Luis Ayuso-Mateos; Somnath Chatterji; Josep Maria Haro; Demosthenes Panagiotakos Journal: Life (Basel) Date: 2021-04-18
Authors: Niranjani Nagarajan; Lama Assi; V Varadaraj; Mina Motaghi; Yi Sun; Elizabeth Couser; Joshua R Ehrlich; Heather Whitson; Bonnielin K Swenor Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-01-06 Impact factor: 3.006