Age-Related Sensory Impairments and Risk of Cognitive Impairment.
To evaluate the associations between sensory impairments and 10-year risk of cognitive impairment.



The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS), a longitudinal, population-based study of aging in the Beaver Dam, Wisconsin community. Baseline examinations were conducted in 1993 and follow-up examinations have been conducted every 5 years.



General community.



EHLS members without cognitive impairment at EHLS-2 (1998-2000). There were 1,884 participants (mean age 66.7) with complete EHLS-2 sensory data and follow-up information.



Cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination score of <24 or history of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Hearing impairment was a pure-tone average of hearing thresholds (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz) of >25 dB hearing level in either ear, visual impairment was a Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity of <1.55 log units in the better eye, and olfactory impairment was a San Diego Odor Identification Test score of <6.



Hearing, visual, and olfactory impairment were independently associated with cognitive impairment risk (hearing: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-3.26; vision: HR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.24-3.38; olfaction: HR = 3.92, 95% CI = 2.45-6.26)). Nevertheless, 85% of participants with hearing impairment, 81% with visual impairment, and 76% with olfactory impairment did not develop cognitive impairment during follow-up.



The relationship between sensory impairment and cognitive impairment was not unique to one sensory system, suggesting that sensorineural health may be a marker of brain aging. The development of a combined sensorineurocognitive measure may be useful in uncovering mechanisms of healthy brain aging.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. fischer@episense.wisc.edu.
Mary E
ME
Fischer
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.|Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Karen J
KJ
Cruickshanks
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Carla R
CR
Schubert
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Alex A
AA
Pinto
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.|Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Madison, Wisconsin.
Cynthia M
CM
Carlsson
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Barbara E K
BE
Klein
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Ronald
R
Klein
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Ted S
TS
Tweed
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology
cognitive impairment; hearing impairment; olfactory impairment; population based; visual impairment