Elevated Pure Tone Thresholds Are Associated with Altered Microstructure in Cortical Areas Related to Auditory Processing and Attentional Allocation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, but the basis of this association is not understood.

Objective

To determine whether hearing impairment is associated with advanced brain aging or altered microstructure in areas involved with auditory and cognitive processing.

Methods

130 participants, (mean 76.4±7.3 years; 65% women) of the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging had a screening audiogram in 2003-2005 and brain magnetic resonance imaging in 2014-2016. Hearing ability was defined as the average pure tone threshold (PTA) at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz in the better-hearing ear. Brain-predicted age difference (Brain-pad) was calculated as the difference between brain-predicted age based on a validate

SUBMITTER: McEvoy LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10793660 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature