Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of single sensory impairment (SSI; visual or auditory) or dual sensory impairment (DSI; visual and auditory) on dementia and longitudinal changes of neuropsychological test scores.
Methods: In this nationwide, prospective, community-based elderly cohort study, Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia (KLOSCAD), 6,520 elderly individuals (58-101 year) representing the general population were included. We defined visual and auditory sensory impairment via self-report questionnaire: 932 had a normal sensory function, 2957 had a SSI, and 2631 had a DSI. Demographic and clinical variables including cognitive outcomes were evaluated every two years over six years. Through logistic regression, Cox regression, and linear mixed model analysis, the relationship between SSI or DSI and dementia prevalence, dementia incidence, and change in neuropsychological scores were evaluated.
Results: At baseline, DSI was significantly associated with increased dementia prevalence compared to normal sensory function (OR=2.17, 95% CI [1.17–4.02]), but SSI was not (OR=1.27, 95% CI [0.66–2.41]). During the 6-year follow-up, the incidence of dementia was significantly higher in the DSI group than in the normal sensory function (HR=1.9, 95% CI [1.04–3.46]), and neuropsychological scores significantly decreased (β=-0.87, 95% CI [-1.17–-0.58]).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that coexisting visual and hearing impairments facilitate dementia prevalence, dementia incidence, and cognitive decline, but visual or hearing impairment alone do not. Additionally, visual and hearing impairment may lead to dementia or cognitive decline independent of Alzheimer’s pathology.
- Received September 28, 2020.
- Accepted in final form February 5, 2021.
- © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
NOTE: All authors' disclosures must be entered and current in our database before comments can be posted. Enter and update disclosures at http://submit.neurology.org. Exception: replies to comments concerning an article you originally authored do not require updated disclosures.
- Stay timely. Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- 200 words maximum.
- 5 references maximum. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- 5 authors maximum. Exception: replies can include all original authors of the article.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.