Memory Problems Tied to Sound Processing Disorder

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.

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