A Longitudinal Study of Peripheral and Central Auditory Function in Alzheimer’s Disease and in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background/Aim: Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) might precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A method of evaluating CAPD is the dichotic digits test (DDT). The aim was to address this in a longitudinal setting. Methods: A total of 136 individuals were assessed with peripheral and central hearing tests at baseline and at 5-year follow-up. Results: Subjects with AD showed a significant decline in DDT scores of the right ear from baseline to follow-up. The other groups retained high DDT scores. Peripheral auditory function declined as expected according to age. Conclusions: Our study indicates that DDT performance reflects an ongoing process resulting in dementia.

Keywords

• Central auditory processing
• Dichotic digits test
• Hearing loss
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Dementia
• Mild cognitive impairment