Portable automated rapid testing for auditory assessment: repeated at-home testing in older adults

Hearing challenges are prevalent in older adults and are associated with age-related cognitive decline. However, measuring age-related changes in hearing faces critical barriers related to accessibility and scalability. High-fidelity tests of central auditory functions are often unavailable to the individuals for whom auditory monitoring is most critical, particularly older adults.

At-home automated hearing testing in older adults shows promise for monitoring hearing changes tied to cognitive decline, but clinical adoption should await larger validation studies before changing screening protocols.

Scalable at-home hearing monitoring could enable earlier detection of age-related hearing and cognitive changes, potentially transforming how audiologists track and manage at-risk older adult populations.

1. 01Portable automated hearing tests were repeated at home by older adults, assessing feasibility and reliability.
2. 02Study links longitudinal hearing changes to age-related cognitive decline.
3. 03Published in Frontiers in Digital Health, suggesting a digital/telehealth framing.
4. 04Repeated-measure design allows tracking of hearing trajectory, not just a single snapshot.
5. 05Findings could inform remote audiology monitoring programs for aging populations.

PMID

42221157

DOI

10.3389/fdgth.2026.1686746.

Journal

Frontiers in Digital Health

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Older adults undergoing repeated at-home hearing assessments

Intervention

Portable automated rapid hearing testing administered repeatedly at home