Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate in a group of elderly CI users workingmemory and attention, conventionally considered as predictors of better CI performance and to tryto disentangle the effects of these cognitive domains on speech perception, finding potential markersof cognitive decline related to audiometric findings. Methods Thirty postlingually deafened CI usersaged >60 underwent an audiological evaluation followed by a cognitive assessment of attention andverbal working memory. A correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the associations betweencognitive variables while a simple regression investigated the relationships between cognitive andaudiological variables. Comparative analysis was performed to compare variables on the basis ofsubjects’ attention performance. Results: Attention was found to play a significant role in soundfield and speech perception. Univariate analysis found a significant difference between poor andhigh attention performers, while regression analysis showed that attention significantly predictedrecognition of words presented at Signal/Noise +10. Further, the high attention performers showedsignificantly higher scores than low attentional performers for all working memory tasks. Conclusion:Overall findings confirmed that a better cognitive performance may positively contribute to betterspeech perception outcomes, especially in complex listening situations. WM may play a crucialrole in storage and processing of auditory-verbal stimuli and a robust attention may lead to betterperformance for speech perception in noise. Implementation of cognitive training in auditoryrehabilitation of CI users should be investigated in order to improve cognitive and audiologicalperformance in elderly CI users.
Neuropsychological functions and audiological findings in elderly cochlear implant users: the role of attention in postoperative performance
Annalisa Pace;
2023-01-01
Abstract
Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate in a group of elderly CI users workingmemory and attention, conventionally considered as predictors of better CI performance and to tryto disentangle the effects of these cognitive domains on speech perception, finding potential markersof cognitive decline related to audiometric findings. Methods Thirty postlingually deafened CI usersaged >60 underwent an audiological evaluation followed by a cognitive assessment of attention andverbal working memory. A correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the associations betweencognitive variables while a simple regression investigated the relationships between cognitive andaudiological variables. Comparative analysis was performed to compare variables on the basis ofsubjects’ attention performance. Results: Attention was found to play a significant role in soundfield and speech perception. Univariate analysis found a significant difference between poor andhigh attention performers, while regression analysis showed that attention significantly predictedrecognition of words presented at Signal/Noise +10. Further, the high attention performers showedsignificantly higher scores than low attentional performers for all working memory tasks. Conclusion:Overall findings confirmed that a better cognitive performance may positively contribute to betterspeech perception outcomes, especially in complex listening situations. WM may play a crucialrole in storage and processing of auditory-verbal stimuli and a robust attention may lead to betterperformance for speech perception in noise. Implementation of cognitive training in auditoryrehabilitation of CI users should be investigated in order to improve cognitive and audiologicalperformance in elderly CI users.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
