- 2026-03-10
- The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 81(5)
- Guangwen Liu
- Zhiyue Zhang
- Ye Yang
- Yongqi Huang
- Yujie Huang
- Yanmei Zhang
- Yanan Luo
Study Design
- Type
- Meta-Analysis
- Sample size
- n = 231
- Population
- older adults with hearing loss
- Methods
- PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched, with a search period from the establishment of the database to May 1, 2025. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to synthesize data on different cognitive function domains, and odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were used to synthesize data on cognitive impairment incidence. Subgroup analyses by age, sex, study design, degree of hearing loss, years of education, and whether with dementia or high risk for dementia were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity.
Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the effects of hearing aid use on various cognitive domains (global cognition, memory, executive function/attention) and the risk of cognitive impairment, and to analyze how these effects differ across sociodemographic factors and severity of cognitive decline among older adults with hearing loss.Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched, with a search period from the establishment of the database to May 1, 2025. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to synthesize data on different cognitive function domains, and odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were used to synthesize data on cognitive impairment incidence. Subgroup analyses by age, sex, study design, degree of hearing loss, years of education, and whether with dementia or high risk for dementia were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity.Results
Forty-six studies (N = 231,565) were included. Hearing aid use was associated with improved global cognition (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI 0.08, 0.45), memory (SMD = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.18), and executive function/attention (SMD = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.20, -0.04), along with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment (RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.88) among older adults with hearing loss. The effects of hearing aid use differed across subgroups based on age, sex, degree of hearing loss, years of education, and dementia status.Discussion
Cognitive benefits of hearing aid use were found among older adults with hearing loss, with mixed evidence based on different domains. Personalized interventions among individuals with different characteristics were recommended in the hearing aids rehabilitation.