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51/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 51 out of 100. Digital health tools

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Purpose Various directional hypotheses for the observed links between aging, hearing, and cognition have been proposed: (a) cognitive load on perception hypothesis, (b) information degradation hypothesis, (c) sensory deprivation hypothesis, and (d) common cause hypothesis. Supporting evidence for all 4 hypotheses has been reported. No studies have modeled the corresponding 4 causal pathways into 1 single model, which would be required to evidence that multiple directional hypotheses apply. The aim of the current study was to tease out which pathways apply for 5 different cognitive measures. Method Data from 1,029 respondents of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used spanning a maximum follow-up of 7 years (3 measurements). Speech-in-noise recognition ability (digit triplet speech-in-noise test) was included as a measure of auditory function. Cognitive measures included global cognitive functioning, fluid intelligence, information processing speed, and verbal memory (immediate recall and retention). Bivariate dual change score modeling was used to model the causal pathways between hearing, cognition, and baseline age. Results For information processing speed, global cognitive functioning, fluid intelligence, and memory-immediate recall, all pathways except for the sensory deprivation pathway were supported. For memory-retention, only the common cause and the sensory deprivation pathways were supported. Conclusions Causal pathways corresponding to all 4 hypotheses were supported. Support for the common cause hypothesis, the information degradation hypothesis, and the cognitive load on perception hypotheses was found for 4 of 5 cognitive measures. This was unexpected in some cases (e.g., support for the information degradation pathway for cognitive measures that do not rely on auditory stimuli). The sensory deprivation pathway that emerged for memory-retention might point toward processes related to early stages of dementia. In summary, the results show that the links between decline in auditory function, cognition, and aging are complex and most likely are captured by pathways belonging to various directional hypotheses.

Key findings

Results For information processing speed, global cognitive functioning, fluid intelligence, and memory-immediate recall, all pathways except for the sensory deprivation pathway were supported.
In summary, the results show that the links between decline in auditory function, cognition, and aging are complex and most likely are captured by pathways belonging to various directional hypotheses.

Why it matters

This longitudinal study of 1,029 people found that the links between decline in hearing speech in noise, thinking abilities, and aging are complex and most likely involve several different pathways. It is about understanding how hearing and thinking are related over time, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designlongitudinal study
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 51/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research: journal h-index 223 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A longitudinal study following the same 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	2 / 5	2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	4 / 7	Cited 66 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	2 / 5	7.3 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 4.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	2 / 4	Cited 21 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Sophia E. Kramer: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: institution h-index 1,014 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31026198)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	51 / 100	—

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Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Pronk, M., Lissenberg-Witte, B. I., van der Aa, H. P. A., Comijs, H. C., Smits, C., Lemke, U., et al. (2019). Longitudinal Relationships Between Decline in Speech-in-Noise Recognition Ability and Cognitive Functioning: The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_jslhr-h-ascc7-18-0120

Vancouver

Pronk M, Lissenberg-Witte BI, van der Aa HPA, Comijs HC, Smits C, Lemke U, et al. Longitudinal Relationships Between Decline in Speech-in-Noise Recognition Ability and Cognitive Functioning: The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR. 2019. doi:10.1044/2018_jslhr-h-ascc7-18-0120. PMID: 31026198.

BibTeX

@article{pronk2019-31026198,
  author  = {Pronk, M. and Lissenberg-Witte, B. I. and van der Aa, H. P. A. and Comijs, H. C. and Smits, C. and Lemke, U. and Zekveld, A. A. and Kramer, S. E.},
  title   = {{Longitudinal Relationships Between Decline in Speech-in-Noise Recognition Ability and Cognitive Functioning: The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam}},
  journal = {Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR},
  year    = {2019},
  doi     = {10.1044/2018_jslhr-h-ascc7-18-0120},
  pmid    = {31026198},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_jslhr-h-ascc7-18-0120}
}

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