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.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
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.
- 01Portable automated hearing tests were repeated at home by older adults, assessing feasibility and reliability.
- 02Study links longitudinal hearing changes to age-related cognitive decline.
- 03Published in Frontiers in Digital Health, suggesting a digital/telehealth framing.
- 04Repeated-measure design allows tracking of hearing trajectory, not just a single snapshot.
- 05Findings could inform remote audiology monitoring programs for aging populations.
Repeated at-home portable automated hearing testing is feasible in older adults.
studypartially supportedChanges in hearing over repeated at-home tests are associated with age-related cognitive decline.
studypartially supported- 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
Primary outcomes
Feasibility and reliability of repeated at-home hearing testing; Association between longitudinal hearing changes and cognitive decline