- TUESDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) — Mild memory impairment may
be associated with a sound processing disorder called central auditory
processing dysfunction, say U.S. researchers.

People with the disorder have difficulty hearing in complex situations
with competing noise, such as making out what one person is saying while
many people in a group are talking at the same time.

“Central auditory processing dysfunction is a general term that is
applied to persons whose hearing in quiet settings is normal or near
normal yet who have substantial hearing difficulty in the presence of
auditory stressors such as competing noise and other difficult listening
situations,” according to background information in the study. “Central
auditory testing is important in evaluating individuals with hearing
difficulty, because poor central auditory ability, per se, is not helped
by amplification and requires alternative rehabilitation strategies.”

Previous research has found that people with Alzheimer's disease and
other types of dementia have central auditory processing dysfunction.

This new study by Dr. George A. Gates, of the University of Washington,
Seattle, and colleagues included 313 people, average age 80, taking part
in a dementia surveillance program that began in 1994. Of the
participants, 17 had been diagnosed with dementia, 64 had mild memory
impairment, and 232 had no memory problems.

Three tests were used to assess the participants' central auditory
processing. In one test, nonsense sentences were read over the background
of an interesting narrative. In the other two tests, separate sentences or
numbers were read into each ear simultaneously.

“These central auditory processing test paradigms evaluate how well an
individual manages competing signals, a task that requires adequate
short-term memory and the ability to shift attention rapidly,” the
researchers noted.

Participants with dementia and mild memory impairment scored
significantly lower on the tests than those without memory problems. The
findings were published in the July issue of the Archives of
Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery.

“Central auditory function was affected by even mild memory
impairment,” the researchers wrote. “We recommend that central auditory
testing be considered in the evaluation of older persons with hearing
complaints as part of a comprehensive, individualized program to assist
their needs in both the aural rehabilitative and the cognitive
domains.”

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about age-related memory loss.