Whisper voice test for screening of hearing loss in nursing home residents with cognitive impairmen

Abstract

Recent studies establish association between hearing loss and cognitive function and evidence exist that hearing damage can exacerbate the negative impact of cognitive impairment in quality of life. Prevalence of hearing loss increases among elderly people living in nursing homes, but the number of residents without hearing aids is high. Whisper voice test is a valid test for screening for hearing impairment. It is frequently used in Primary Care. We applied the voice test in older residents with cognitive impairment and we observed that these subjects failed the repetition of letters. Consequently, we decided to modify the habitual test procedure and employ familiar phrases as screening sound stimulus, on the assumption that they are more easily recognizable. The objective of our study is to establish whether this new technique can be used to screen for hearing loss in older people with mild-moderate cognitive impairment. 62 older residents (mini mental scores > 14) participated in this research. First results reveal that the voice test has high sensitivity and specificity, as well as elevated positive and negative predictive values. The proposed technique could be used as hearing screening tool in a population with similar characteristics.