The RBANS-H in Older Adults With Normal Hearing or Age-related Hearing Loss

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing Impaired Individuals (RBANS-H) in Older Adults With Normal Hearing or Age-related Hearing Loss

The present cross-sectional study aims to examine the cognitive capabilities of older adults, aged 50 to 89, with normal hearing or age-related hearing loss by means of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status for Hearing impaired individuals (RBANS-H). Secondly, the correlations between cognition on the one hand and hearing and speech reception capabilities on the other hand are investigated. For this purpose, twenty participants are included in the age categories 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79 and 80 to 89, bringing the total number to 80. Three questionnaires are administered to the participants: the Health Utilities Index-2/3 (HUI 2/3), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and a general questionnaire on education and profession, medical history, hearing aid use and tinnitus. Also an audiological examination is performed, including pure tone audiometry, speech in quiet and speech in noise audiometry. Finally, cognition is assessed using the RBANS-H.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hearing: Air conduction hearing thresholds according to age, based on the ISO standards
• Age: 50 - 89

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of any neurological disease
• History of otological surgery or disease