Relación Entre audición y cognición durante el envejecimiento: estudio de una población geriátrica de Rosario

During ageing, hearing loss is considered to be one
of the most important public health problems due
to its impact on the person’s physical, emotional
and social wellbeing, as it remarkably decreases the
quality of life of those who suffer from it. This is because a hearing deficit not only affects speech perception and comprehension but also conditions the
level of social participation. The latter aspect can be
seen in a tendency towards depression, lower selfesteem, social isolation, and significant increase in
family stress, all of which can also be seen in people
with some degree of dementia. Different authors (Pouchain, Dupuy, San Julian et
al, 2007; Lin et al. 2011; among others) consider that
communication difficulties observed in old adult
people are not only due to alterations in their peripheral auditory system but also to some impairment in their cognitive skills and central auditory
system.
In this project, the aim is to consider the relationship between hearing alterations and the degree of
cognitive deterioration. 35 people, of both genders,
resident in the Old People’s Provincial Hospital in
Rosario, were examined. Their age ranged from 58
to 90 years old. The study consisted in assessing
their peripheral and central auditory functions and
determining their cognitive level.
In general, a series of statistical correlations were
observed that corroborate the close relationship between hearing loss and mild cognitive deterioration
during ageing.