Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41537066›Full record

ReviewMaedica2025

Age-Related Hearing Loss and Correlation with Cognitive Decline: a Narrative Review.

Aikaterini D Lianou, Evangelos Kokkinis, Nikolaos Stefanos Bastas, Athanasios Basios, Ioanna Mega

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Maedica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Extended high-frequency audiometry in older adults: hearing thresholds.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Aikaterini D LianouDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Primary National Health Network of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Evangelos KokkinisDepartment of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Nikolaos Stefanos BastasDepartment of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Athanasios BasiosDepartment of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Ioanna MegaDepartment of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is one of the most prevalent long-term sensory difficulties in older people. It affects more than two-thirds of people over 70. In addition to communication challenges, ARHL has recently been revealed as a possible modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Comprehending this link is crucial for creating preventative interventions and maintaining healthy cognitive aging. This narrative review intended to analyze the evidence comprehensively relating age-related hearing loss (ARHL) with cognitive decline, define the possible pathophysiological mechanisms that may explain this association and assess the plausibility of hearing rehabilitation as a preventative therapy. A full literature search was done in PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Frontiers databases employing the phrases "hearing loss" AND ("cognitive decline" OR "aging"). We only looked at articles that were published in English between 2014 and 2024 and were either systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or original research. We did not include any papers that were not peer-reviewed, not about people or not written in English. A total of 37 publications satisfied the inclusion criteria and underwent extensive review. There is strong evidence that ARHL is associated with rapid cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia. Epidemiological studies suggest that hearing loss contributes to roughly 8-9% of worldwide dementia cases, which represents one of the primary modifiable risk factors. Some of the suggested ways that ARHL and cognitive decline are connected include through increased cognitive load, neuroplastic rearrangement, vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress and social isolation. Neuroimaging studies have revealed a reduction in gray matter and cortical atrophy in the auditory and associative areas of the brain in individuals with hearing loss. Hearing rehabilitation with hearing aids and cochlear implants has been connected to increased communication, higher social engagement and decreased cognitive decline; nevertheless, findings are rather inconsistent due to methodological errors and limited follow-up periods. Age-related hearing loss is a moderately widespread risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia that can be reduced. Early examination and effective auditory therapy can slow down cognitive decline and make life better for older people. Future longitudinal, multicenter and interventional studies are important to explain causal pathways, enhance intervention timing and assess cost-effective public health techniques for sustaining cognitive health in aging populations.

Indexed as

age-related hearing lossagingcognitive declinedementiahearing rehabilitationneuroplasticitypresbycusis

Identifiers

PMID41537066
PMCPMC12767894

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.