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Hearing and cognitive scores measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale in The HUNT Study, Norway
Christian Myrstad, Bo Engdahl, Sergi G. Costafreda, Steinar Krokstad, Gill Livingston, Geir Selbæk. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-01-23
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
We included 6879 persons (mean 56.1 years, standard deviation 6.2). At follow-up, the MoCA score was -0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.35, -0.14), per 10 dB increase in hearing threshold and for persons < 85 years, -0.31 (95% CI -0.42, -0.20). This study finds a long-term association between hearing impairment and dose related reduced cognitive performance, particularly in those aged < 85. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ID NCT04284384, hearing impairment as a risk factor for dementia in older adults. HIGHLIGHTS: Hearing loss predicts long-term cognitive decline measured by MoCA over 20+ years. Long follow-up is crucial to avoid reverse causation in the hearing-cognition relationship. A 10 dB hearing threshold increase is linked to a 0.25-point reduction in MoCA score. Strongest cognitive decline associations are seen in people aged below 85 years. The association remained after excluding hearing-dependent tasks in the MoCA.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Myrstad, C., Engdahl, B., Costafreda, S. G., Krokstad, S., Livingston, G., & Selbæk, G. (2025). Hearing and cognitive scores measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale in The HUNT Study, Norway. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14514
Vancouver
Myrstad C, Engdahl B, Costafreda SG, Krokstad S, Livingston G, Selbæk G. Hearing and cognitive scores measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale in The HUNT Study, Norway. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.14514. PMID: 39846386.
BibTeX
@article{myrstad2025-39846386,
author = {Myrstad, Christian and Engdahl, Bo and Costafreda, Sergi G. and Krokstad, Steinar and Livingston, Gill and Selbæk, Geir},
title = {{Hearing and cognitive scores measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale in The HUNT Study, Norway}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.14514},
pmid = {39846386},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14514}
}
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Key findings
- We included 6879 persons (mean 56.1 years, standard deviation 6.2).
- At follow-up, the MoCA score was -0.25 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.35, -0.14), per 10 dB increase in hearing threshold and for persons < 85 years, -0.31 (95% CI -0.42, -0.20).
- This study finds a long-term association between hearing impairment and dose related reduced cognitive performance, particularly in those aged < 85.
- CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ID NCT04284384, hearing impairment as a risk factor for dementia in older adults.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Hearing loss predicts long-term cognitive decline measured by MoCA over 20+ years.
Why it matters
This long-term cohort study found that greater hearing impairment was linked to lower cognitive scores on the MoCA over 20+ years, with the strongest associations in people under 85. It does not test any treatment or prevention, so it cannot show whether addressing hearing loss would change dementia risk.
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Study details
- Study designcohort study
- Participants6,879
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A cohort study following people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 6,879 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Geir Selbæk: h-index 61 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 10 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39846386) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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