Abstract
Altogether 153 (60%) out of a sample of 253 people aged 70 years and over living in their own homes were found to have impaired hearing when tested by pure-tone audiometry. This is almost twice the prevalence found in all other studies, in which deafness was assessed clinically or by self-reporting. The prevalence of deafness increased with age. Evidence of organic brain syndrome (dementia), as determined by questionnaire, was present in 39 (16%) out of 245 respondents, and of depression in 82 (35%). Dementia and depression were both age related. An apparent association between deafness and dementia was shown to be due to age alone. A significant relation between deafness and depression was independent of age and socioeconomic state. The use of audiometric techniques of assessment established that an association exists between deafness and depression that is not simply a function of differential reporting reflecting the emotional state of the respondent.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Blessed G., Tomlinson B. E., Roth M. The association between quantitative measures of dementia and of senile change in the cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. Br J Psychiatry. 1968 Jul;114(512):797–811. doi: 10.1192/bjp.114.512.797. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Charatan F. B. Depression in old age. N Y State J Med. 1975 Dec;75(14):2505–2509. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gurland B., Kuriansky J., Sharpe L., Simon R., Stiller P., Birkett P. The Comprehensive assessment and Referral Evaluation (CARE)--rationale, development and reliability. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 1977;8(1):9–42. doi: 10.2190/cl3j-0e20-97xx-mv5l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HOPKINS B., ROTH M. Psychological test performance in patients over sixty. II. Paraphrenia, arteriosclerotic psychosis and acute confusion. J Ment Sci. 1953 Jul;99(416):451–463. doi: 10.1192/bjp.99.416.451. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hodkinson H. M. Mental impairment in the elderly. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1973 Jul;7(4):305–317. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Irving G., Robinson R. A., McAdam W. The validity of some cognitive tests in the diagnosis of dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1970 Aug;117(537):149–156. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Isaacs B., Kennie A. T. The Set test as an aid to the detection of dementia in old people. Br J Psychiatry. 1973 Oct;123(575):467–470. doi: 10.1192/bjp.123.4.467. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KAY D. W., BEAMISH P., ROTH M. OLD AGE MENTAL DISORDERS IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. I. A STUDY OF PREVALENCE. Br J Psychiatry. 1964 Mar;110:146–158. doi: 10.1192/bjp.110.465.146. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KAY D. W., ROTH M., BEAMISH P. OLD AGE MENTAL DISORDERS IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. II. A STUDY OF POSSIBLE SOCIAL AND MEDICAL CAUSES. Br J Psychiatry. 1964 Sep;110:668–682. doi: 10.1192/bjp.110.468.668. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sheard A. V. Survey of the elderly in Scunthorpe. Public Health. 1971 Jul;85(5):208–218. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(71)80072-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- WILLIAMSON J., STOKOE I. H., GRAY S., FISHER M., SMITH A., MCGHEE A., STEPHENSON E. OLD PEOPLE AT HOME. THEIR UNREPORTED NEEDS. Lancet. 1964 May 23;1(7343):1117–1120. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(64)91803-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]