Age-related Hearing Loss Accelerates Cerebrospinal Fluid Tau Levels and Brain Atrophy: a Longitudinal Study

Overview

Journal Aging (Albany NY)

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2019 May 24

PMID 31118310

Citations 29

Authors

Wei Xu

Can Zhang

Jie-Qiong Li

Chen-Chen Tan

Xi-Peng Cao

Lan Tan

Jin-Tai Yu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) has been considered as a promising modifiable risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. Nonetheless, it is still unclear whether age-related hearing loss associates with neurodegenerative biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Participants with ARHL were selected from the established Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. In multivariable models, the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of ARHL with CSF β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau measurements, brain Aβ load, and cortical structural measures were explored. ARHL was associated with higher CSF levels of tau (p < 0.001) or ptau181 (p < 0.05) at baseline as well as faster elevation rates of these two types of biomarkers (p < 0.05). Although the baseline volume/thickness of hippocampus (p < 0.05) and entorhinal cortex (p < 0.0005) were higher in individuals with ARHL, these two regions (p < 0.01 for hippocampus, p < 0.05 for entorhinal cortex) displayed significantly accelerated atrophy in individuals with ARHL. No association of ARHL with CSF or brain Aβ levels was found. Subgroup analyses indicated that the above effects of ARHL were more significant in non-demented stage. Age-related hearing loss was associated with elevated cerebrospinal fluid tau levels and atrophy of entorhinal cortex.

Citing Articles

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Hearing loss and its link to cognitive impairment and dementia.

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Subjective hearing loss is not associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia.

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