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Shende SA, Jones SE, Mudar RA. Alpha and theta oscillations on a visual strategic processing task in age-related hearing loss. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1382613. [PMID: 39086839 PMCID: PMC11289776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1382613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Emerging evidence suggests changes in several cognitive control processes in individuals with age-related hearing loss (ARHL). However, value-directed strategic processing, which involves selectively processing salient information based on high value, has been relatively unexplored in ARHL. Our previous work has shown behavioral changes in strategic processing in individuals with ARHL. The current study examined event-related alpha and theta oscillations linked to a visual, value-directed strategic processing task in 19 individuals with mild untreated ARHL and 17 normal hearing controls of comparable age and education. Methods Five unique word lists were presented where words were assigned high- or low-value based on the letter case, and electroencephalography (EEG) data was recorded during task performance. Results The main effect of the group was observed in early time periods. Specifically, greater theta synchronization was seen in the ARHL group relative to the control group. Interaction between group and value was observed at later time points, with greater theta synchronization for high- versus low-value information in those with ARHL. Discussion Our findings provide evidence for oscillatory changes tied to a visual task of value-directed strategic processing in individuals with mild untreated ARHL. This points towards modality-independent neurophysiological changes in cognitive control in individuals with mild degrees of ARHL and adds to the rapidly growing literature on the cognitive consequences of ARHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha A. Shende
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, United States
| | - Sarah E. Jones
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Raksha A. Mudar
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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Loughrey DG, Jordan C, Ibanez A, Parra MA, Lawlor BA, Reilly RB. Age-related hearing loss associated with differences in the neural correlates of feature binding in visual working memory. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:233-245. [PMID: 37866083 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The underlying neural mechanisms underpinning the association between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and dementia remain unclear. A limitation has been the lack of functional neuroimaging studies in ARHL cohorts to help clarify this relationship. In the present study, we investigated the neural correlates of feature binding in visual working memory with ARHL (controls = 14, mild HL = 21, and moderate or greater HL = 23). Participants completed a visual change detection task assessing feature binding while their neural activity was synchronously recorded via high-density electroencephalography. There was no difference in accuracy scores for ARHL groups compared to controls. There was increased electrophysiological activity in those with ARHL, particularly in components indexing the earlier stages of visual cognitive processing. This activity was more pronounced with more severe ARHL and was associated with maintained feature binding. Source space (sLORETA) analyses indicated greater activity in networks modulated by frontoparietal and temporal regions. Our results demonstrate there may be increased involvement of neurocognitive control networks to maintain lower-order neurocognitive processing disrupted by ARHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Loughrey
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Catherine Jordan
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Agustin Ibanez
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mario A Parra
- School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Brian A Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Richard B Reilly
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; School of Engineering, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland; School of Medicine, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Ireland
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Objective and Subjective Hearing Difficulties Are Associated With Lower Inhibitory Control. Ear Hear 2022; 43:1904-1916. [PMID: 35544449 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence suggests that hearing loss increases the risk of cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between hearing loss and cognition can vary considerably across studies, which may be partially explained by demographic and health factors that are not systematically accounted for in statistical models. DESIGN Middle-aged to older adult participants (N = 149) completed a web-based assessment that included speech-in-noise (SiN) and self-report measures of hearing, as well as auditory and visual cognitive interference (Stroop) tasks. Correlations between hearing and cognitive interference measures were performed with and without controlling for age, sex, education, depression, anxiety, and self-rated health. RESULTS The risk of having objective SiN difficulties differed between males and females. All demographic and health variables, except education, influenced the likelihood of reporting hearing difficulties. Small but significant relationships between objective and reported hearing difficulties and the measures of cognitive interference were observed when analyses were controlled for demographic and health factors. Furthermore, when stratifying analyses for males and females, different relationships between hearing and cognitive interference measures were found. Self-reported difficulty with spatial hearing and objective SiN performance were better predictors of inhibitory control in females, whereas self-reported difficulty with speech was a better predictor of inhibitory control in males. This suggests that inhibitory control is associated with different listening abilities in males and females. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight the importance of controlling for participant characteristics when assessing the relationship between hearing and cognitive interference, which may also be the case for other cognitive functions, but this requires further investigations. Furthermore, this study is the first to show that the relationship between hearing and cognitive interference can be captured using web-based tasks that are simple to implement and administer at home without any assistance, paving the way for future online screening tests assessing the effects of hearing loss on cognition.
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Croll PH, Vinke EJ, Armstrong NM, Licher S, Vernooij MW, Baatenburg de Jong RJ, Goedegebure A, Ikram MA. Hearing loss and cognitive decline in the general population: a prospective cohort study. J Neurol 2020; 268:860-871. [PMID: 32910252 PMCID: PMC7914236 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-10208-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Background Previous studies identifying hearing loss as a promising modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline mostly adjusted for baseline age solely. As such a faster cognitive decline at a higher age, which is expected considering the non-linear relationship between cognition and age, may have been overlooked. Therefore it remains uncertain whether effects of hearing loss on cognitive decline extend beyond age-related declines of cognitive function. Methods 3,590 non-demented participants were eligible for analysis at baseline, and a maximum of 837 participants were eligible for the longitudinal analysis. Hearing loss was defined at baseline. Cognitive function was measured at baseline and at follow-up (4.4 years [SD: 0.2]). Multivariable linear regression analysis was used for the cross-sectional analysis. Linear mixed models were used to assess the longitudinal association between hearing loss and cognitive decline over time while adjusting for confounders and the interaction of age and follow-up time. Results Hearing loss was associated with lower cognitive function at baseline. Moreover, hearing loss was associated with accelerated cognitive decline over time on a memory test. After additionally adjusting for the interaction between age and follow-up time, we found that hearing loss did not accelerate cognitive decline anymore. Conclusions Hearing loss was associated with lower cognitive function at baseline and accelerated cognitive decline on a memory test. The association between hearing loss and accelerated cognitive decline was non-significant after additional adjustment for non-linear age effects. More evidence is needed to ensure the role of hearing loss as a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-020-10208-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline H Croll
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth J Vinke
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole M Armstrong
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Silvan Licher
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Meike W Vernooij
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert J Baatenburg de Jong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - André Goedegebure
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Arfan Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Rosemann S, Thiel CM. Neural Signatures of Working Memory in Age-related Hearing Loss. Neuroscience 2020; 429:134-142. [PMID: 31935488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Age-related hearing loss affects the ability to hear high frequencies and therefore leads to difficulties in understanding speech, particularly under adverse listening conditions. This decrease in hearing can be partly compensated by the recruitment of executive functions, such as working memory. The compensatory effort may, however, lead to a decrease in available neural resources compromising cognitive abilities. We here aim to investigate whether mild to moderate hearing loss impacts prefrontal functions and related executive processes and whether these are related to speech-in-noise perception abilities. Nineteen hard of hearing and nineteen age-matched normal-hearing participants performed a working memory task to drive prefrontal activity, which was gauged with functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, speech-in-noise understanding, cognitive flexibility and inhibition control were assessed. Our results showed no differences in frontoparietal activation patterns and working memory performance between normal-hearing and hard of hearing participants. The behavioral assessment of further executive functions, however, provided evidence of lower cognitive flexibility in hard of hearing participants. Cognitive flexibility and hearing abilities further predicted speech-in-noise perception. We conclude that neural and behavioral signatures of working memory are intact in mild to moderate hearing loss. Moreover, cognitive flexibility seems to be closely related to hearing impairment and speech-in-noise perception and should, therefore, be investigated in future studies assessing age-related hearing loss and its implications on prefrontal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Rosemann
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Christiane M Thiel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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Loughrey DG, Mihelj E, Lawlor BA. Age-related hearing loss associated with altered response efficiency and variability on a visual sustained attention task. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2019; 28:1-25. [PMID: 31868123 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1704393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the association between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and differences in response efficiency and variability on a sustained attention task. The study population comprised 32 participants in a hearing loss group (HLG) and 34 controls without hearing loss (CG). Mean reaction time (RT) and accuracy were recorded to assess response efficiency. RT variability was decomposed to examine temporal aspects of variability associated with neural arousal and top-down executive control of vigilant attention. The HLG had a significantly longer mean RT, possibly reflecting a strategic approach to maintain accuracy. The HLG also demonstrated altered variability (indicative of greater decline in neural arousal) but maintained executive control that was significantly predictive of poorer response efficiency. Adults with ARHL may rely on higher-order attention networks to compensate for decline in both peripheral sensory function and in subcortical arousal systems which mediate lower-order automatic neurocognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Loughrey
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland/University of California , San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ernest Mihelj
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Brian A Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland/University of California, San Francisco. Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, St James Hospital , Dublin, Ireland
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Loughrey DG, Pakhomov SVS, Lawlor BA. Altered verbal fluency processes in older adults with age-related hearing loss. Exp Gerontol 2019; 130:110794. [PMID: 31790801 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.110794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have linked age-related hearing loss (ARHL) with an increased risk of neurocognitive decline. Difficulties in speech perception with subsequent changes in brain morphometry, including regions important for lexical-semantic memory, are thought to be a possible mechanism for this relationship. This study investigated differences in automatic and executive lexical-semantic processes on verbal fluency tasks in individuals with acquired hearing loss. The primary outcomes were indices of automatic (clustering/word retrieval at start of task) and executive (switching/word retrieval after start of the task) processes from semantic and phonemic fluency tasks. To extract indices of clustering and switching, we used both manual and computerised methods. There were no differences between groups on indices of executive fluency processes or on any indices from the semantic fluency task. The hearing loss group demonstrated weaker automatic processes on the phonemic fluency task. Further research into differences in lexical-semantic processes with ARHL is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Loughrey
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin.
| | | | - Brian A Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA; Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, St James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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