ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the influence of age-related functional hearing loss on memory ability. Methods:From January to October, 2018, 30 patients aged 52 to 76 years visiting otolaryngology were screened hearing using a computer aided platform, and then were divided into two groups according to the results. Those with good speech recognition in noise (SIN < -2.63 dB) were in L group (n = 15) and those with poor speech recognition in noise (SIN > -2.63 db) were in H group (n = 15). They were assessed with Paired Associates Learning (PAL) and Spatial Working Memory (SWM) of Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery in loading of four, six and eight models. Results:The amount of errors of both PAL and SWM increased with the loading in both groups (χ2 > 28.182, P < 0.001). The amount of errors of PAL was less in L group than in H group under any loading (U < 53.5, P < 0.05), while the amount of errors of SWM only less under loading of six models (U = 55.0, P < 0.05). There was no significant interaction between hearing and loading (F < 1.680, P > 0.05). Conclusion:Age-related functional hearing loss tend to impair episodic memory rather than working memory, whatever the impacts of memory load.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The agreement between pure-tone average (PTA) and speech recognition threshold (SRT) has become more important with the increasing demands for medical certification. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the SRT and several variations of PTA, and to determine which PTA formula would provide the best agreement with SRT for different audiometric configurations. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Audiological data on 783 ears were retrospectively collected. The air-conduction PTAs were calculated using five different formulas: three-frequency average (3FA), weighted three-frequency average (W3FA), four-frequency average (4FA), weighted four-frequency average (W4FA), and six-frequency average (6FA). The audiometric configuration was classified into five categories. The PTA-SRT relationships were analyzed using correlation and simple linear regression for each audiometric configuration. RESULTS: Highest correlation was observed between the SRT and W3FA for all audiometric configurations with the correlation coefficient of 0.964 as a whole. The SRT and 3FA were best-matched in the linear regression models for overall/flat/high frequency gently sloping/low frequency ascending; the SRT and W3FA were best-matched for high frequency steeply sloping (HFSS); the SRT and 4FA were best-matched for miscellaneous audiograms. CONCLUSION: The most stable PTA variations that make the best-matched pairs with SRT for any audiogram are the conventional 3FA and W3FA doubling 1 kHz threshold. The addition of frequencies higher than 2 kHz to a PTA formula seems to have impeded the PTA-SRT agreement, especially for HFSS audiograms. W3FA should be the method of choice in predicting SRT from PTA for HFSS audiograms.