JAMA Study Finds Cochlear Implants Improve Cognition in Elderly Patients

MDalert.com staff

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  • Elderly patients aged 65 to 94 years experienced improved speech perception.
  • Study included 94 patients, 81% of whom showed improved cognitive abilities following implantation.
  • Benefits were observable at within six months postop.

A multi-center prospective, longitudinal study performed in in France has found “improvements in speech perception and cognitive abilities and positively influences their social activity and quality of life” 1 following cochlear implantation. (See Figure.)

 

Figure. A cochlear implant.

The study was between at 10 tertiary referral centers between September 1, 2006, and June 30, 2009. The participants included 94 patients aged 65 to 85 years with profound, postlingual hearing loss who were evaluated before, 6 months after, and 12 months after cochlear implantation.

“Before cochlear implantation, 44% of the patients (40 of 91) had abnormal scores on 2 or 3 of 6 cognition tests. One year after implant, 81% of the subgroup (30 of 37) showed improved global cognitive function (no or 1 abnormal test score). Improved mean scores in all cognitive domains were observed as early as 6 months after cochlear implantation,” the researchers wrote.


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