Precision Cognitive Testing and Assessment at North Houston Hearing Solutions
A 10-year study by Dr. Frank Lin at Johns Hopkins University completed in 2013 indicates that there is a fivefold increase of dementia in individuals with mild, medium, or severe hearing loss.
Dr. Lin’s findings are supported by additional studies conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, which reported an increased risk of subjective cognitive decline of 30 percent among men with mild hearing loss, compared with those with no hearing loss, and a 42 to 54 percent higher risk of developing cognitive issues for those with moderate or severe hearing loss, respectively.
Since the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline is well established, North Houston Hearing Solutions has made cognitive screening an important part of our audiological practice.
We use advanced diagnostic technology, known as Cognivue, as a cognitive function test capable of measuring how your hearing challenges are affecting your cognitive performance and capacity as well as your quality of life.
The Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are among the consequences of advanced cognitive decline. They may develop at a faster rate in individuals experiencing hearing loss, for several reasons:
Four Early Warning Signs of Cognitive Decline
1. Memory Loss
Not all memory problems are the result of cognitive decline. Forgetting where you left your keys is normal, but forgetting important events or appointments or not recognizing people or places you know well is not.
2. Mood and Behavioral Swings
Emotional outbursts, angry rants, crying, irritability, aggression, and anxiety and depression without a reasonable cause, such as a specific event or a hormone imbalance, are also early signs of cognitive decline.
3. Difficulty Concentrating
Losing your train of thought while speaking, getting confused during conversations, losing track of the plot in books and movies, and an inability to remain focused on a task are additional signs. They sometimes manifest as impulsive actions, uncharacteristically rash behavior, and poor judgment.
4. Physical Symptoms
The way you walk, talk, and move can start to change as well, because your brain controls your motor skills. Consequently, feeling unsteady on your feet, slurring your speech, sloppy penmanship when you used to have good penmanship, and difficulty turning pages in a book or magazine are other physical symptoms of cognitive decline.
How Does Cognitive Screening Work?
The Cognivue screening test makes use of FDA-approved technology similar to what is employed by neurologists to assess cognitive function.
It allows us to observe and measure three aspects of cognitive performance and two indicators of cognitive capacity using a five-minute, self-administered computerized screening.
Cognitive performance aspects evaluated include:
Measurement of your cognitive capacity involves two speed performance parameters:
What Do the Results of the Cognivue Screening Test Show?
Besides assessing cognitive performance and cognitive capacity, Cognivue is an advanced-level tool that enhances our ability to develop a highly effective hearing care plan and hearing aid selection.
A score is given for each of the five areas evaluated during a Cognivue screening test. Each of them provides insight into how you are processing sound.
Visuospatial Score
This score shows how effectively you use visual cues to process and interpret visual information. It relates to how well you process complex sentences and distinguish between speakers in a noisy environment, which requires the ability to identify where sounds or voices are coming from.
Reaction Time
This measurement of cognitive capacity involves a timed response that shows how quickly your brain coordinates between stimulus perception and response. A quick reaction time to sound or speech signals demonstrates a higher cognitive capacity than does a slower reaction.
Processing Speed
Processing speed demonstrates how long it takes you to mentally process a task. How quickly you are able to respond to complex conversations, especially those taking place where there is background noise, is indicated by this cognitive testing score.
Memory Score
This score is a reflection of your capacity to retain information while processing the same or additional information at the same time. Memory function is necessary for sorting out complex sentences, following abstract thoughts, and comprehending a conversation, especially when there is a lot of background noise.
Executive Function Score
How well you are able to coordinate and control higher order cognitive processes is indicated by your executive function score. Executive function guides levels of attentiveness, planning, problem-solving, and more. This also includes being able to focus on a single speaker in a noisy environment, distinguish between multiple speakers talking at the same time, and focus on speech while ignoring irrelevant distractions during a conversation.
Five Benefits of Cognitive Screening in Your Hearing Treatment Experience
1. Gives Your Audiologist a Fuller Picture of Your Hearing Loss
Lower memory scores and poor performance in the various domains revealed by cognitive screening provide more information related to why you have more difficulty hearing in an environment with background noise than the results provided by an audiogram.
2. Broadens the Scope of Treatment Options Available
Cognitive screening results may lead to extra diagnostic testing by your audiologist for greater diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, information gathered helps optimize hearing aid programming for sound processing in environments with heavy background noise.
3. Produces Less Biased Data
Because the patient self-administers the tests, cognitive screening removes the prejudices of the tester and biases connected with socioeconomic class, education level, and demography.
4. Offers Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive screening has the potential to detect any level of cognitive decline even before moderate cognitive impairment begins to become evident.
5. Assists With Monitoring and Treatment Feedback
Frequent repetition of cognitive testing allows your audiologist to monitor changes to your cognitive function, which provides feedback for the impact of prescribed hearing care treatments on your cognitive performance.
Join Our Delighted Patients
Schedule Cognitive Screening at North Houston Hearing Solutions
North Houston Hearing Solutions uses Cognivue screening tests to address hearing loss-related cognitive decline as well as to help design the best possible hearing care treatment plan to meet your specific needs and improve your quality of life.
If problems with recall, decision-making, organizing tasks, or your sense of direction or other cognitive issues have become noticeable to you or a loved one, contact us to schedule a cognitive screening using the adjacent form.
Don’t want to wait? Call us at: 346-482-4100
Meet Your Team
Norma A. Aguilera
Hearing Instrument Specialist
Dr. Angela F. Poe
DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY
Dr. Lacey Brooks
DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY & TINNITUS SPECIALIST
