Abstract
Abstract Hearing loss is highly prevalent among persons living with dementia (PWD) and associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), while hearing aid use may be protective. We analyzed data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) uniform data set. We estimated the association between hearing loss and number or severity of NPS in a negative binomial regression adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. In the subsample with hearing loss, we estimated the association between hearing aid use and number or severity of NPS.10,054 participants were included with a mean age of 75 years. 2,416 (24%) self-reported hearing loss with 71% reporting 2+ NPS. In PWD and hearing loss, 1,325 (54.8%) reported hearing aid use. After a well-balanced matching, in adjusted models, hearing aid use was associated with fewer (IRR=0.82; 95%CI=0.77,0.87) and less severe NPS (IRR=0.74; 95%CI=0.69,0.80). Hearing aid use may represent an underutilized, non-pharmacological intervention to address NPS.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
