Cognitive Screening: Fast, Effective Screening For Memory, Visuospatial, And Executive Function
According to research, hearing loss is the leading modifiable risk factor contributing to cognitive decline and dementia.
In the Journal of the American Medical Association (2014), Dr. Frank Lin reported the possibility of a five-fold increased risk of dementia for individuals with mild, medium, and severe hearing loss.
Based on this evidence, your hearing loss may be affecting your cognitive performance, and your cognitive capacity may be affecting your hearing challenges.
The link between the two suggests that not only may hearing loss affect cognitive performance, but that cognitive function can also affect hearing.
Because our doctors of audiology recognize this connection, North Houston Hearing conducts cognitive testing using a breakthrough technology known as Cognivue.
Schedule A Cognivue Screening
Your Audiologist Plays A Key Role In The Early Detection Of Cognitive Decline
The slow onset of hearing loss impacts critical brain functions linked to the memory, hearing, speech, and language portions of cognition.
Since hearing impairment increases your risk of cognitive decline and dementia, the proactive management of hearing loss can delay the progression of cognitive impairment.
Several recent studies indicate that the use of hearing aids and other rehabilitation services for hearing loss plays a key role in helping to slow the rapid progression of cognitive decline.
How Are Cognitive Function And Hearing Loss Linked?
There are two different types of processing involved in hearing. Bottom-up processing involves the cochlea sending information up to your brain.
Top-down processing relates to your brain sending information down to your cochlea.
Cognitive function relates to hearing loss through elements like your attention span, listening effort, and memory, which impact your hearing capacity, especially in complex listening scenarios or noisy environments. Consequently, it is rational to test your cognitive abilities as a possible link to your hearing challenges.
How Does Cognitive Screening Work?
Cognivue employs FDA-approved technology similar to that used by neurologists to assess cognitive function. The system allows us to observe three aspects of cognitive performance using a five-minute self-administered computerized screening, which includes:
- Memory: Your ability to store and recall information when required.
- Visuospatial: Your capacity to receive and understand visual information about yourself and your surroundings.
- Executive function: Your capacity to focus on and solve problems.
In addition to these measurements of performance, cognitive screening also allows us to evaluate your cognitive capacity using two speed performance parameters:
- Reaction time: Your ability to physically react to situations.
- Processing speed: The time it takes to mentally process a task.
The patient is given a score for each of the five domains once the screening is completed.
Five Ways Cognitive Screening Improves Your Hearing Treatment Experience
1. Cognitive Testing 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 information related to why you have more difficulty hearing in an environment with background noise than the results provided by an audiogram.
2. Expands Treatment Options.
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. 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. Greater Sensitivity.
Cognitive screening has the potential to detect any level of cognitive decline even before moderate cognitive impairment begins to become evident.
5. Cognivue Helps Measure Changes.
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.
Great service very friendly! They attended me quickly and thoroughly, they also helped recommend my next steps.
I have been a patient of N. Houston Hearing Solutions since 2012. They are very efficient, friendly and provide the best care for your hear solutions needs. I highly recommend them.
Great place for your hearing needs. Very professional was just there today and I got great results from the team.
Schedule A Cognitive Screening At North Houston Hearing Solutions
Because of the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline, the team at North Houston Hearing Solutions believes that cognitive screenings provide you with the opportunity to discover any cognitive challenges before they begin to impact your lifestyle and quality of life.
If you are concerned about your cognitive health or that of a loved one, complete and submit the adjacent form to schedule a cognitive screening.
