Pragmatic questionnaire-based evaluation of auditory function in individuals with major neurocognitive disorders and hearing loss in diverse contexts.

Background: Hearing impairment in older people is a significant risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, while it is a source of bias in the diagnostic workup of cognitive complaints. Early detection and intervention are critical, yet audiometric equipment is often unavailable in primary healthcare- and/or community care-, as well as in low-resource settings across the globe.

Objective: This study aims (i) to develop brief accurate instruments for capturing hearing loss severity based on items of the 25-item Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) and its counterpart the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the communication partner (HHIE-SP) and (ii) to compare their usefulness as well as that of the 10-item screening version of HHIE (HHIE-S) in detecting hearing loss severity in people with dementia and hearing loss to HHIE and HHIE-SP.

Low cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis: a clinical study.

Background: Recently, cognitive deficits occurring in rheumatic diseases have attracted scientific attention. Cognitive symptoms in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) have not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to assess cognitive function and its relationship with depressive symptoms in RA and SSc and compare it to mild neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease (MiND) and to individuals without cognitive impairment.