Fostering connectedness among tertiary education students has been linked to positive academic outcomes and University experience. Further, a sense of connectedness with peers has been linked to the development of stronger interpersonal skills. However, little research has examined peer connectedness specifically in postgraduate health science cohorts, where skills like empathy are crucial in graduate clinical careers. This study examined the content validity of the Connected Classroom Climate Inventory (CCCI) in postgraduate health science students, and its construct validity in relation to self-efficacy for clinical skills. Students completed two questionnaires: the CCCI (Dwyer et al., 2004), and the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) (Kang et al., 2019). The CCCI measures students' perceptions of connectedness with their peers. The SES measures self-perceived clinical competence, and the questionnaires were modified to reflect audiology or social work skills. In a sample of 72 Masters students from audiology and social work programs, the 20-item CCCI demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94). The CCCI scores showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.46, p = 0.001) with scores on the SES for degree-specific clinical skills. These findings provide evidence for the content and construct validity of the CCCI in this postgraduate population. The positive association between CCCI and self-efficacy suggests that promoting connectedness could benefit the development of self-efficacy and preparedness for clinical practice. By reliably measuring connectedness using the validated CCCI, universities can identify students who may need support, evaluate interventions, and optimize learning environments for postgraduate health science students.

Objective: It is unknown how adults communicate about their experienced listening difficulties with their audiologist. This scoping review aims to explore how adults self-describe the listening difficulties that they experience, and how they communicate about them.Design: A scoping review was conducted between December 2020 and September 2022 to identify published journal articles in which adults described and communicated about their listening difficulties. Study sample: Database searches yielded 10,224 articles initially. After abstract screening and full text review, 55 articles were included for analysis.Results: The listening difficulties that adults described were varied, highlighting the fact that each person has individual experiences. Adults discussed reasons for their listening difficulties, impacts of their listening difficulties, and behavioural responses they adopted to cope with their listening difficulties. Conclusions: This review shows the broad impacts of listening difficulties, and the varied ways in which adults discuss their listening difficulties. There is no available literature reporting how adults communicate about their listening difficulties in a clinical context.

Hearing loss has been identified as the largest potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia and affects 50% adults aged 50-64 years, and 70% aged 70 years and older. The quality of evidence the effect of hearing aid use on cognition in older adults is currently poor due to methodological limitations. Few studies have objectively studied these outcomes beyond 6-12 months. This prospective longitudinal observational cohort study investigated the effects of hearing aid use on cognitive performance in older adults over 3 years. 183 first-time hearing aid users aged 60 years and older with mild to severe hearing loss were assessed using gold standard measures before hearing aid fitting, with subsets of this group re-assessed after 18 and 36 months as they reached these timepoints. Outcomes for the treatment group were compared with those of participants of a large longitudinal cohort study of community-living older adults (AIBL) using the same measures. Objective assessment measures included cognitive function, hearing loss, hearing aid use, genetic phenotyping, and speech perception. Subjective measures included hearing disability, mood, quality of life, social isolation, and loneliness. The treatment group showed good hearing aid compliance, significant improvement in speech perception (quiet and noise) and decreased self-reported listening disability despite further significant hearing loss over the 3-year follow-up. There was significant improvement in cognitive performance from baseline for the treatment group versus the comparative group for working memory, attention, psychomotor function, and visual learning. Comparatively, AIBL participants showed statistically significant decline across all cognitive functions. Older adults with untreated hearing loss are expected to decline cognitively at 2-5 times the rate of adults without hearing loss. Comparatively, cognitive performance in treated participants in this study instead improved after 3 years of hearing aid use, while the comparative group declined. These results suggest that treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids may delay cognitive decline.

Hearing loss is highly prevalent in older adults and has been identified as the largest single potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia. Although hearing aids are a successful treatment for hearing loss, it is unknown whether their use can delay the onset of cognitive decline or improve cognitive function. Less than 20% of adults who would benefit from hearing aids actually using them. Results at 18‐ and 36‐months post‐hearing aid fitting in this prospective Australian longitudinal study will be presented.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of hearing, cognition, and personal factors on hearing aid (HA) uptake, use, and benefit. Method Eighty-five older adults aged 60-80 years (M = 70.23, SD = 5.17) participated in the study. Hearing was assessed using pure-tone audiometry and the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test. Cognition was measured using the Cogstate Brief Battery and the Cogstate Groton Maze Learning task. Personal demographics were recorded from participants' answers on a series of take-home questionnaires. HA benefit and use was subjectively reported at 3 and 6 months post HA fitting for those who chose to use HAs. Results Stepwise-regression and mixed-effects models indicated that stronger psychomotor function predicted greater reported use of HAs at 3 and 6 months post HA fitting. Greater family interaction scores also predicted greater HA use at 3 months after fitting. Participants who chose to be fitted with HAs had significantly poorer self-reported health and poorer audiometric thresholds. Poorer hearing was also significantly related with greater reported HA benefit. Conclusions A combination of cognitive, psychosocial factors and hearing impacted HA outcomes for the older Australians in this study. Self-reported HA use was significantly greater in participants with better psychomotor function. Furthermore, those with poorer self-reported health were more likely to choose to use HAs. These factors should be considered in audiological rehabilitation to best maximize patient HA outcomes.

AbstractBackgroundHearing loss is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older adults, and has been identified as a modifiable risk factor for dementia. Although hearing aids are a successful treatment for hearing loss, it is unknown whether hearing aid use can delay the onset of cognitive decline or improve cognitive function in older adults with hearing loss. This prospective longitudinal study is investigating the effect of hearing aid use on cognitive decline and addresses many of the methodological limitations of previous studies.MethodPatients are recruited from the University of Melbourne Academic Hearing Aids Audiology Clinic and assessed before and every 18 months after hearing aid fitting. When numbers are sufficient, results will be compared with those of a control group of approximately 400 participants of a cohort study of ageing in older adults. Assessments include cognitive function (visually presented computerised assessment battery), hearing, speech perception, quality of life, activity, diet, loneliness and isolation, anxiety, depression, medical health and genetic risk.ResultAt baseline, multiple linear regression for 98 participants (62‐82 years), controlling for age, gender, cardiovascular conditions, education, and working/retired, with mean better ear PTA 31dB showed hearing loss and age predicted significantly poorer executive function, while tertiary education predicted significantly better executive function and visual learning. At 18‐month follow up, results for a subset of participants showed significant improvements in speech perception, listening disability and quality of life. Group mean scores across the cognitive assessment battery showed no significant decline and executive function was significantly improved. There was either clinically significant improvement or stability for executive function for over 97% of the subset, and for females for working memory, visual learning and visual attention, despite significantly greater hearing loss over this period.ConclusionDespite a small initial sample size, hearing loss, age and education significantly predicted baseline cognitive function. At 18‐month follow up, the majority of participants had either remained stable or demonstrated a meaningful clinical improvement in cognitive function, with significant group mean improvements for executive function and working memory. Treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids may delay cognitive decline. These are initial results, and further follow up is required.

Objective: To consider the relationships between both peripheral and central hearing impairment and cognition. Design: Narrative review. Study sample: Numerous studies exploring the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive function, particularly in an older population. Results: In addition to the well-documented relationship between peripheral hearing loss and cognition highlighted in previous comprehensive reviews, there is also some evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between central hearing impairment and cognition. Further research is required to better understand this relationship and its effects on hearing aid benefit in people with both peripheral hearing loss and central hearing impairment. Conclusions: To fully understand the relationship between hearing impairment and cognitive impairment, not only peripheral but central hearing needs to be considered. Such knowledge could be of benefit in the clinical management of people with both peripheral hearing loss and central hearing impairment.

Objective: Peripheral hearing, central auditory processing (CAP) and cognition are all important for comprehension of speech and deteriorate with increased age. This study aimed to examine the relation between hearing impairment and cognitive impairment by assessing both peripheral hearing impairment and CAP ability. Design: Cognition was measured using the CogState Brief Battery (CSBB). Peripheral hearing was measured across eight frequencies (250 Hz-8000 Hz) using pure tone audiometry, and CAP was measured using the Listening in Spatialised Noise-Sentences test (LiSN-S) and the Dichotic Digits Test. Data were analysed using correlation and regression analyses. Study sample: Around 85 adults aged 60.33-83.08 years who attended the Melbourne Audiology clinic and had no previous diagnosis of dementia were included in the study. Results: A significant association was found between degree of peripheral hearing impairment and the cognitive skills of attention and executive function as measured by the CSBB. Additionally, CAP abilities as assessed using the LiSN-S test were significantly correlated with at least one cognitive measure. Conclusions: This study adds to the knowledge that peripheral hearing and CAP ability both share an association with cognition, specifically identifying cognitive skills and measures of "hearing" that mediate this relationship.