Family-Perceived Barriers and Facilitators Toward a Tele-Audiology Infant Diagnostic Testing Approach in Victoria, Australia.

Background: Universal newborn hearing screening programs allow for early identification of congenital hearing loss. However, some families experience difficulties accessing diagnostic audiology services following a refer screen result. Methods: This study aimed to assess the opinions of families who had experienced infant diagnostic audiology assessments regarding a telehealth option for these appointments within Victoria, Australia. Families who attended in-person infant diagnostic audiology appointments were sent a questionnaire exploring their experiences of the service and their opinion regarding a proposed telehealth option for infant diagnostic audiology (50 responses received). These results were also compared to those of families who were surveyed following testing in 2020, where the audiologist conducted the appointment remotely to comply with COVID-19-related social distancing recommendations at the time (10 responses received). Results: There were not significant differences between the duration or number of appointments, perceived understanding of results, or concerns regarding a tele-audiology model between families who experienced face-to-face and tele-audiology infant diagnostic audiology appointments. Opinions of infant diagnostic audiology appointments utilizing telehealth technology were largely positive, and minimal technological difficulties were identified. Conclusion: Overall positive attitudes of many families with infant diagnostic appointment experiences toward a tele-audiology option of this service suggest that offering a telehealth model of appointments may be an appropriate model to improve service access for families requiring infant diagnostic audiology in Victoria.

Promoting hearing and cognitive health in audiologic rehabilitation for the well-being of older adults.

OBJECTIVE: With our aging population, an increasing number of older adults with hearing loss have cognitive decline. Hearing care practitioners have an important role in supporting healthy aging and should be knowledgeable about cognitive decline and associated management strategies to maximize successful hearing intervention. METHODS: A review of current research and expert opinion. RESULTS: This article outlines the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline/dementia, hypothesized mechanisms underlying this, and considers current research into the effects of hearing intervention on cognitive decline. Cognition into old age, cognitive impairment, dementia, and how to recognize cognitive decline that is not part of normal aging are described. Screening of older asymptomatic adults for cognitive decline and practical suggestions for the delivery of person-centered hearing care are discussed. Holistic management goals, personhood, and person-centered care in hearing care management are considered for older adults with normal cognitive aging through to dementia. A case study illustrates important skills and potential management methods. Prevention strategies for managing hearing and cognitive health and function through to older age, and strategies to maximize successful hearing aid use are provided. CONCLUSION: This article provides evidence-based recommendations for hearing care professionals supporting older clients to maximize well-being through the cognitive trajectory.

The Apolipoprotein Allele and Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Older Community-Dwelling Adults in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research has investigated whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele, which is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, is also associated with hearing loss in older people. Results of the very limited research to date are conflicting, and sample sizes for all but one study were small. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the APOE ε4 allele and hearing loss in a large, population-based sample of community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional audiometric data on hearing levels and APOE genotypes for 2006 participants (aged 55 to 85 years) of the Hunter Community Study were analyzed using multiple linear regression to examine the association between APOE ε4 carrier status and the 4-frequency pure-tone average (0.5 to 4 kHz) in the better hearing ear, and also across individual frequencies in the better ear. RESULTS: Observed and expected APOE allele frequency distributions did not differ significantly overall from established general population allele frequency distributions. Unadjusted modeling using better ear pure-tone average showed a statistically significant association between APOE ε4 allele status (0, 1, 2 copies) and reduced hearing loss, but when the model was adjusted for age, this was no longer statistically significant. Across individual hearing frequencies, unadjusted regression modeling showed APOE ε4 status was significantly associated with a reduction in mean hearing thresholds at 1 and 2 kHz, but again this effect was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study did not provide any evidence of a statistically significant association between APOE ε4 allele status and hearing loss for older adults. Further investigation of the effect of homozygous carrier status on hearing thresholds is required.

Modelling the early expressive communicative trajectories of infants/toddlers with early cochlear implants.

For children with normal hearing (NH), early communication skills predict vocabulary, a precursor to grammar. Growth in early communication skills of infants with cochlear implants (CIs) was investigated using the Early Communication Indicator (ECI), a play-based observation measure. Multilevel linear growth modelling on data from six ECI sessions held at three-monthly intervals revealed significant growth overall, with a non-significant slower growth rate than that of children with NH (comparison age centred at 18 months). Analyses of gesture use and of nonword vocalisations revealed the CI group used significantly more of each, with more rapid growth. In contrast, the CI group used significantly fewer single words and multiword utterances, and with slower growth. Maternal education and time to achieve consistent CI use impacted significantly on growth for the CI sample. The results indicate that progression to vocabulary by young CI users can be supported by encouraging their use of prelinguistic communication.

The relationship between peripheral hearing loss and higher order listening function on cognition in older Australians.

Objective: Peripheral hearing, central auditory processing (CAP) and cognition are all important for comprehension of speech and deteriorate with increased age. This study aimed to examine the relation between hearing impairment and cognitive impairment by assessing both peripheral hearing impairment and CAP ability.Design: Cognition was measured using the CogState Brief Battery (CSBB). Peripheral hearing was measured across eight frequencies (250 Hz-8000 Hz) using pure tone audiometry, and CAP was measured using the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test (LiSN-S) and the Dichotic Digits Test. Data were analysed using correlation and regression analyses.Study sample: Around 85 adults aged 60.33-83.08 years who attended the Melbourne Audiology clinic and had no previous diagnosis of dementia were included in the study.Results: A significant association was found between degree of peripheral hearing impairment and the cognitive skills of attention and executive function as measured by the CSBB. Additionally, CAP abilities as assessed using the LiSN-S test were significantly correlated with at least one cognitive measure.Conclusions: This study adds to the knowledge that peripheral hearing and CAP ability both share an association with cognition, specifically identifying cognitive skills and measures of "hearing" that mediate this relationship.

Peripheral and central hearing impairment and their relationship with cognition: a review.

Objective: To consider the relationships between both peripheral and central hearing impairment and cognition. Design: Narrative review. Study sample: Numerous studies exploring the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive function, particularly in an older population. Results: In addition to the well-documented relationship between peripheral hearing loss and cognition highlighted in previous comprehensive reviews, there is also some evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between central hearing impairment and cognition. Further research is required to better understand this relationship and its effects on hearing aid benefit in people with both peripheral hearing loss and central hearing impairment. Conclusions: To fully understand the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive impairment, not only peripheral but central hearing needs to be considered. Such knowledge could be of benefit in the clinical management of people with both peripheral hearing loss and central hearing impairment.

Social Development in Children With Early Cochlear Implants: Normative Comparisons and Predictive Factors, Including Bilateral Implantation.

OBJECTIVES: There are mixed results regarding psychosocial development in children with cochlear implants (CIs) compared with children with normal hearing (NH), and the effect of bilateral CIs has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to investigate whether social development differed between NH children and those with early CIs, and to identify new predictors of psychosocial development in children with early CIs. DESIGN: The psychosocial development, cognitive and language abilities of 159 children were measured as part of a longitudinal outcomes study of children with CIs. Parental involvement was also assessed. RESULTS: The children in this study did not differ significantly from their peers with NH in terms of their psychosocial development, except with regard to Prosocial Behavior, with parents reporting significantly poorer development in this area. Having bilateral CIs predicted significantly fewer difficulties with psychosocial development, with earlier age at implantation increasing the effect size of the second CI for Emotional Symptoms and Peer Problems. Receptive language ability, higher parent education, later birth order, high parent involvement, and female gender predicted significantly fewer parent reports of psychosocial problems. Higher child cognitive ability and greater screen time predicted significantly greater reported psychosocial difficulties. Marginal effects modeling quantified the effects of changes in the predictive factors examined. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial development in these children with early CIs was found to be similar to that for peers with NH, with the exception of delayed Prosocial Behavior development. Having bilateral CIs predicted significantly better emotional outcomes. A number of new predictive factors were found for psychosocial development. The results of the marginal effects modeling should be shared with parents and professionals to increase their understanding of the impact of changes in predictive factors, particularly in terms of their own contribution to psychosocial outcomes for children with CIs.

Children with cochlear implants in infancy: predictors of early vocabulary.

BACKGROUND: Language outcomes for children with cochlear implants (CIs) vary widely, even for those implanted before 2 years of age. Identifying the main influencing factors that account for some of the variability is important in order to provide information to guide appropriate clinical and intervention services for young children with CIs. However, there is limited research focusing on the predictors of early vocabulary development for children implanted in infancy. AIMS: To identify significant predictors of vocabulary (12-15 months post-implant) for a sample of 33 children with CIs, the majority implanted between 6 and 10 months of age, drawing on predictors of vocabulary reported for children with normal hearing. Of particular interest was the impact of pre-implant development and use of gestures. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Children with severe to profound hearing loss, and no other known disabilities, were recruited from CI clinics in Australia before receiving their CIs. Subscales from the Bayley Scales-III (receptive and expressive communication, gross and fine motor, and cognition) were used to assess their development at that time. Using the Macarthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (Words and Gestures) we documented the children's (1) use of gestures at six data-collection times 3 months apart; and (2) vocabulary at the last three time points. Time since implant and time to consistent use of the CIs were also included as potential predictors. Data were analysed using generalized linear models, assuming a negative binomial response with a log-link function. Stepwise variables selection was followed to retain a smaller number of the covariates. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: A year after implantation, the significant predictors identified for vocabulary were pre-implant receptive communication and early gesture use. Together with fine motor and cognitive skills, these two variables were also significant predictors of vocabulary 3 months later. With maternal education entered into the models, higher vocabulary scores were significantly associated with higher maternal education 12 months post-implantation, but not 15 months. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Pre-implant abilities are important in explaining some variability in the early vocabulary of infants with CIs, together with their use of early gestures post-implantation. That is, having a non-verbal means to express a concept can assist in their development of oral vocabulary. Identifying strategies to help develop fine motor skills for infants with CIs, and encouraging their use of gestures to communicate their needs/intentions, are likely to be of benefit.

Bilateral versus unilateral cochlear implants in children: a study of spoken language outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Although it has been established that bilateral cochlear implants (CIs) offer additional speech perception and localization benefits to many children with severe to profound hearing loss, whether these improved perceptual abilities facilitate significantly better language development has not yet been clearly established. The aims of this study were to compare language abilities of children having unilateral and bilateral CIs to quantify the rate of any improvement in language attributable to bilateral CIs and to document other predictors of language development in children with CIs. DESIGN: The receptive vocabulary and language development of 91 children was assessed when they were aged either 5 or 8 years old by using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (fourth edition), and either the Preschool Language Scales (fourth edition) or the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (fourth edition), respectively. Cognitive ability, parent involvement in children's intervention or education programs, and family reading habits were also evaluated. Language outcomes were examined by using linear regression analyses. The influence of elements of parenting style, child characteristics, and family background as predictors of outcomes were examined. RESULTS: Children using bilateral CIs achieved significantly better vocabulary outcomes and significantly higher scores on the Core and Expressive Language subscales of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (fourth edition) than did comparable children with unilateral CIs. Scores on the Preschool Language Scales (fourth edition) did not differ significantly between children with unilateral and bilateral CIs. Bilateral CI use was found to predict significantly faster rates of vocabulary and language development than unilateral CI use; the magnitude of this effect was moderated by child age at activation of the bilateral CI. In terms of parenting style, high levels of parental involvement, low amounts of screen time, and more time spent by adults reading to children facilitated significantly better vocabulary and language outcomes. In terms of child characteristics, higher cognitive ability and female sex were predictive of significantly better language outcomes. When family background factors were examined, having tertiary-educated primary caregivers and a family history of hearing loss were significantly predictive of better outcomes. Birth order was also found to have a significant negative effect on both vocabulary and language outcomes, with each older sibling predicting a 5 to 10% decrease in scores. CONCLUSIONS: Children with bilateral CIs achieved significantly better vocabulary outcomes, and 8-year-old children with bilateral CIs had significantly better language outcomes than did children with unilateral CIs. These improvements were moderated by children's ages at both first and second CIs. The outcomes were also significantly predicted by a number of factors related to parenting, child characteristics, and family background. Fifty-one percent of the variance in vocabulary outcomes and between 59 to 69% of the variance in language outcomes was predicted by the regression models.

Parenting stress in parents of children with cochlear implants: relationships among parent stress, child language, and unilateral versus bilateral implants.

Little attention has been focused on stress levels of parents of children with cochlear implants (CIs). This study examined the stress experience of 70 parents of children with CIs by comparing stress levels in this group of parents to those in parents of children without disabilities, identifying primary stressors, examining the relationship between parent stress and child language, and comparing stress in parents of children with bilateral and unilateral CIs. Parents completed a parent stress questionnaire, and the receptive vocabulary and language abilities of the children were evaluated. Results indicated that these parents had a higher incidence of stress than the normative population. Parent stress levels and child language outcomes were negatively correlated. Child behavior and lack of spousal and social support were the prime causes of parent stress. Parents of children with bilateral CIs were significantly less stressed than were parents of children with unilateral CIs.

ENHANCE: a comparative prospective longitudinal study of cognitive outcomes after 3 years of hearing aid use in older adults.

Background: With an aging population, the prevalence of hearing loss and dementia are increasing rapidly. Hearing loss is currently considered the largest potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. The effect of hearing interventions on cognitive function should therefore be investigated, as if effective, these may be successfully implemented to modify cognitive outcomes for older adults with hearing loss. Methods: This prospective longitudinal observational cohort study compared outcomes of a convenience sample of prospectively recruited first-time hearing aid users without dementia from an audiology center with those of community-living older adults participating in a large prospective longitudinal cohort study with/without hearing loss and/or hearing aids. All participants were assessed at baseline, 18 months, and 36 months using the same measures. Results: Participants were 160 audiology clinic patients (48.8% female patient; mean age 73.5 years) with mild-severe hearing loss, fitted with hearing aids at baseline, and 102 participants of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Aging (AIBL) (55.9% female patient; mean age 74.5 years). 18- and 36-month outcomes of subsets of the first participants to reach these points and complete the cognition assessment to date are compared. Primary comparative analysis showed cognitive stability for the hearing aid group while the AIBL group declined on working memory, visual attention, and psychomotor function. There was a non-significant trend for decline in visual learning for the AIBL group versus no decline for the hearing aid group. The hearing aid group showed significant decline on only 1 subtest and at a significantly slower rate than for the AIBL participants (p < 0.05). When education effects on cognitive trajectory were controlled, the HA group still performed significantly better on visual attention and psychomotor function (lower educated participants only) compared to the AIBL group but not on working memory or visual learning. Physical activity had no effect on cognitive performance trajectory. Conclusion: Hearing aid users demonstrated significantly better cognitive performance to 3 years post-fitting, suggesting that hearing intervention may delay cognitive decline/dementia onset in older adults. Further studies using appropriate measures of cognition, hearing, and device use, with longer follow-up, are required.

No Influence of Age-Related Hearing Loss on Brain Amyloid-ß.

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is independently associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline in older adults and has been identified as a modifiable risk factor for dementia. The mechanism for this association is unknown, and there has been limited exploration of potential casual pathology. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate whether there was an association between degree of audiometrically measured hearing loss (HL) and brain amyloid-ß (Aß) in a pre-clinical sample. METHODS: Participants of the Australian Imaging and Biomarker Longitudinal Study (AIBL; n = 143) underwent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and objective measurement of hearing thresholds within 5 years of imaging, as well as cognitive assessment within 2 years of imaging in this observational cohort study. RESULTS: With one exception, study participants who had cognitive assessments within 2 years of their PET imaging (n = 113) were classified as having normal cognition. There was no association between cognitive scores and degree of hearing loss, or between cognitive scores and Aß load. No association between HL and Aß load was found once age was controlled for. As previously reported, positive Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) carrier status increased the risk of being Aß positive (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Degree of HL was not associated with positive Aß status.

Evidence-based approach for making cochlear implant recommendations for infants with residual hearing.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop guidelines, based on the unaided pure-tone audiogram, for recommending a cochlear implant (CI) for infants and young children with residual hearing. As awareness of the benefits of early implantation increases and age at diagnosis decreases, an increasing number of infants are presenting for consideration of implantation with significant residual hearing in one or both ears. Determining the likelihood that these infants will have an improved speech and language outcome if they receive a CI is a challenge. DESIGN: Subjects were 142 hearing impaired children (ages 4.6 to 16.2 yrs) with unaided three-frequency pure-tone average (PTA; at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) ranging from 28 to 125 dB HL: 62 used conventional amplification (analog or digital hearing aids [HAs]) and the remaining 80 used a Nucleus 24 (N24) or Freedom CI. Open-set monosyllabic word (Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten or Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant words) and sentence (Bamford-Kowal-Bench sentences) testing was administered audition alone to both groups of children. RESULTS: Comparison of means for sentence testing showed that the children using CIs performed significantly better than their peers with profound hearing loss (PTA >90 dB HL) using HAs and not significantly differently to those with severe (PTA 66 to 90 dB HL) or moderate (PTA <66 dB HL) hearing loss. Comparison of means for monosyllabic word testing showed that the children using CIs performed significantly better than their peers with severe and profound hearing loss and not significantly differently to those with moderate hearing loss. Regression analysis was used to determine the equivalent unaided PTA values that corresponded to the median and first quartile scores for the children using CIs on speech perception testing. For open-set words, scored for phonemes correct, the equivalent unaided PTAs were 46 and 56 dB HL, respectively. For sentence testing, the equivalent unaided PTAs were 63 and 72 dB HL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that recommendation for implantation can be made confidently for children presenting with bilateral profound hearing loss. For children with unaided PTA hearing levels in the range of 75 to 90 dB HL, a recommendation for implantation can also be made, provided that a 75% chance of improvement in hearing outcome is an acceptable level of benefit to the family and clinician. Children presenting with PTA hearing levels better than 75 dB HL should be encouraged to continue with binaural HA use.

Hearing Aid Uptake, Benefit, and Use: The Impact of Hearing, Cognition, and Personal Factors.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of hearing, cognition, and personal factors on hearing aid (HA) uptake, use, and benefit. Method Eighty-five older adults aged 60-80 years (M = 70.23, SD = 5.17) participated in the study. Hearing was assessed using pure-tone audiometry and the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test. Cognition was measured using the Cogstate Brief Battery and the Cogstate Groton Maze Learning task. Personal demographics were recorded from participants' answers on a series of take-home questionnaires. HA benefit and use was subjectively reported at 3 and 6 months post HA fitting for those who chose to use HAs. Results Stepwise-regression and mixed-effects models indicated that stronger psychomotor function predicted greater reported use of HAs at 3 and 6 months post HA fitting. Greater family interaction scores also predicted greater HA use at 3 months after fitting. Participants who chose to be fitted with HAs had significantly poorer self-reported health and poorer audiometric thresholds. Poorer hearing was also significantly related with greater reported HA benefit. Conclusions A combination of cognitive, psychosocial factors and hearing impacted HA outcomes for the older Australians in this study. Self-reported HA use was significantly greater in participants with better psychomotor function. Furthermore, those with poorer self-reported health were more likely to choose to use HAs. These factors should be considered in audiological rehabilitation to best maximize patient HA outcomes.

Positive Parenting Behaviors: Impact on the Early Vocabulary of Infants/Toddlers With Cochlear Implants.

Purpose To extend our knowledge about factors influencing early vocabulary development for infants with cochlear implants (CIs), we investigated the impact of positive parenting behaviors (PPBs) from the Indicator of Parent Child Interaction, used in parent-child interactions during everyday activities. Method Implantation age for the sample recruited from CI clinics in Australia ranged from 6 to 10 months for 22 children and from 11 to 21 months for 11 children. Three observation sessions at three monthly intervals were coded for use of PPBs. Children's productive vocabulary, based on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories parent checklist, was collected approximately 6 and 9 months later. A repeated-measures negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to investigate associations between the total PPBs per session, covariates (maternal education, gender, and time since implant), and the number of words produced. In follow-up analyses with the PPBs entered separately, variable selection was used to retain only those deemed informative, based on the Akaike information criterion. Results As early as Session 1, associations between the PPBs and vocabulary were identified. Time since implant had a positive effect. For different sessions, specific PPBs (descriptive language, follows child's lead, and acceptance and warmth) were identified as important contributors. Conclusions Complementing previous findings, valuable information was identified about parenting behaviors that are likely to impact positively the early vocabulary of infants with CIs. Of importance is providing parents with information and training in skills that have the potential to help create optimal contexts for promoting their child's early vocabulary development.

The Effect of Hearing Aid Use on Cognition in Older Adults: Can We Delay Decline or Even Improve Cognitive Function?

Hearing loss is a modifiable risk factor for dementia in older adults. Whether hearing aid use can delay the onset of cognitive decline is unknown. Participants in this study (aged 62-82 years) were assessed before and 18 months after hearing aid fitting on hearing, cognitive function, speech perception, quality of life, physical activity, loneliness, isolation, mood, and medical health. At baseline, multiple linear regression showed hearing loss and age predicted significantly poorer executive function performance, while tertiary education predicted significantly higher executive function and visual learning performance. At 18 months after hearing aid fitting, speech perception in quiet, self-reported listening disability and quality of life had significantly improved. Group mean scores across the cognitive test battery showed no significant decline, and executive function significantly improved. Reliable Change Index scores also showed either clinically significant improvement or stability in executive function for 97.3% of participants, and for females for working memory, visual attention and visual learning. Relative stability and clinically and statistically significant improvement in cognition were seen in this participant group after 18 months of hearing aid use, suggesting that treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids may delay cognitive decline. Given the small sample size, further follow up is required.

Spoken language development in oral preschool children with permanent childhood deafness.

This article documented spoken language outcomes for preschool children with hearing loss and examined the relationships between language abilities and characteristics of children such as degree of hearing loss, cognitive abilities, age at entry to early intervention, and parent involvement in children's intervention programs. Participants were evaluated using a combination of the Child Development Inventory, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Preschool Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals depending on their age at the time of assessment. Maternal education, cognitive ability, and family involvement were also measured. Over half of the children who participated in this study had poor language outcomes overall. No significant differences were found in language outcomes on any of the measures for children who were diagnosed early and those diagnosed later. Multiple regression analyses showed that family participation, degree of hearing loss, and cognitive ability significantly predicted language outcomes and together accounted for almost 60% of the variance in scores. This article highlights the importance of family participation in intervention programs to enable children to achieve optimal language outcomes. Further work may clarify the effects of early diagnosis on language outcomes for preschool children.

The Effect of Cochlear Implants on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Initial Baseline and 18-Month Follow Up Results for a Prospective International Longitudinal Study.

In older adults, hearing loss is independently associated with an increased rate of cognitive decline, and has been identified to be a modifiable risk factor for dementia. The mechanism underlying the cognitive decline associated with hearing loss is not understood, but it is known that the greater the hearing loss, the faster the rate of decline. It is unknown whether remediation of hearing loss with hearing devices can delay cognitive decline. This 5-year international longitudinal study is investigating the impact of cochlear implants on cognitive function in older people with severe-profound hearing loss, and whether remediation of hearing loss could delay the onset of cognitive impairment. This is the first study to examine the major primary risk factors associated with dementia in the same cohort. Participants were assessed before cochlear implantation and 18 months later using an identical battery including a visually presented cognitive assessment tool (Cogstate battery) that is highly sensitive to small changes in cognition and suitable for use with people with hearing loss. Hearing and speech perception ability were assessed in sound-treated conditions by an audiologist, and a range of questionnaire tools was administered to assess self-perceived ease of listening, quality of life, physical activity, diet, social and emotional loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression. A detailed medical health history was taken. Pre-operatively, despite the small initial sample size (n = 59), increased hearing loss and age predicted significantly poorer executive function and visual attention, while tertiary education predicted better executive function. Better self-reported quality of life was correlated with better visual learning performance, and engaging in frequent vigorous physical activity was correlated with poorer visual learning performance. At 18 months, for the first 20 participants, significant benefits of cochlear implants were seen in terms of speech perception, communication ability, and quality of life. Multiple linear regression modeling showed executive function improved significantly for non-tertiary educated males, while cognitive function remained stable for other participants. Further follow-up at 18 month intervals with a larger sample will reveal the effects of cochlear implant intervention on all outcomes, and whether this can delay cognitive decline.

Serum Methylarginines and Hearing Loss in a Population-based Cohort of Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Age-related hearing loss is associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased cardiovascular risk, suggesting a vascular etiology. Methylarginines are endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitors that cause endothelial dysfunction and increase cardiovascular disease risk. This study is the first to examine the hypothesis that higher serum concentrations of methylarginines are associated with greater hearing loss prevalence. STUDY DESIGN/PATIENTS: Cross-sectional audiometric data on hearing levels, and serum methylarginines were collected from a population-based sample of 630 older community-dwelling adults. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between higher serum concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and L-arginine and greater degrees of hearing loss for males, particularly over 75 years. Higher body mass index and previous history of stroke were also associated with hearing loss. For females, ADMA concentration was not associated with hearing loss, but higher serum L-arginine concentrations were associated with reduced hearing loss prevalence in older females. Antihypertensive medication use was also associated with reduced hearing loss prevalence. LDL cholesterol and previous myocardial infarction were associated with greater hearing loss. CONCLUSION: This study showed a significant association between serum concentrations of ADMA and hearing loss for males, consistent with the association between endothelial dysfunction and hearing loss. The opposite effect of L-arginine on hearing loss in males versus females might reflect a different role of this precursor toward nitric oxide versus methylated arginines synthesis. These findings are potentially clinically significant if the association between ADMA and hearing loss is causal, as serum methylarginine levels are modifiable through pharmacotherapeutic/lifestyle interventions.

Academic Outcomes for School-Aged Children With Severe-Profound Hearing Loss and Early Unilateral and Bilateral Cochlear Implants.

PURPOSE: This study sought to (a) determine whether academic outcomes for children who received early cochlear implants (CIs) are age appropriate, (b) determine whether bilateral CI use significantly improves academic outcomes, and (c) identify other factors that are predictive of these outcomes. METHOD: Forty-four 8-year-old children with severe-profound hearing loss participated in this study. Their academic development in mathematics, oral language, reading, and written language was assessed using a standardized test of academic achievement. RESULTS: (a) Across all academic areas, the proportion of children in the average or above-average ranges was lower than expected for children with normal hearing. The strongest area of performance was written language, and the weakest was mathematics. (b) Children using bilateral CIs achieved significantly higher scores for oral language, math, and written language, after controlling for predictive factors, than did children using unilateral CIs. Younger ages at second CI predicted the largest improvements. (c) High levels of parental involvement and greater time spent by children reading significantly predicted academic success, although other factors were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Average academic outcomes for these children were below those of children with normal hearing. Having bilateral CIs at younger ages predicted the best outcomes. Family environment was also important to children's academic performance.