The impact of cognition on hearTest administration in older adults receiving home care

Helen Gurteen; Melinda Toomey; Lana Wilson; Bronwyn Franco; Yuanyuan Gu; Chyrisse Heine; Sabrina Lenzen; Piers Dawes

doi:10.1080/14992027.2025.2573033

The impact of cognition on hearTest administration in older adults receiving home care

Helen Gurteen^*, Melinda Toomey, Lana Wilson, Bronwyn Franco, Yuanyuan Gu, Chyrisse Heine, Sabrina Lenzen, Piers Dawes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the impact of cognitive function on the administration of the hearTest automated hearing test in older adults. The relationship between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and three hearTest metrics (false response rate, standard deviation of response time, and test duration) was analysed.

Design: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Testing was conducted in participants’ homes or retirement villages.

Study Sample: One hundred and five older adults (aged 67–97 years) receiving home-based aged care with MoCA scores ranging between 5 (possible dementia) and 30 (healthy cognition).

Results: There was no relationship between MoCA score and false response rate (r = −0.12, CI = −0.42 to 0.06, p = 0.22) or standard deviation of response time (r = −0.11, CI = −0.33 to 0.04, p = 0.27). There was a moderate sized correlation between MoCA score and test duration (r = −0.31, CI = − 0.49 to − 0.15, p = 0.001), indicating longer test duration with lower MoCA scores.

Conclusions: hearTest performance is not impacted by cognitive ability in a population of older adults that included people living with dementia. However, additional test time may be needed for hearTest administration for individuals with cognitive impairment.

Original language	English
Number of pages	7
Journal	International Journal of Audiology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2025.2573033
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 15 Oct 2025

Keywords

automated hearing testing
cognition
mobile health applications
older adults

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10.1080/14992027.2025.2573033

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title = "The impact of cognition on hearTest administration in older adults receiving home care",

abstract = "Objective: This study investigated the impact of cognitive function on the administration of the hearTest automated hearing test in older adults. The relationship between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and three hearTest metrics (false response rate, standard deviation of response time, and test duration) was analysed.Design: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Testing was conducted in participants{\textquoteright} homes or retirement villages.Study Sample: One hundred and five older adults (aged 67–97 years) receiving home-based aged care with MoCA scores ranging between 5 (possible dementia) and 30 (healthy cognition).Results: There was no relationship between MoCA score and false response rate (r = −0.12, CI = −0.42 to 0.06, p = 0.22) or standard deviation of response time (r = −0.11, CI = −0.33 to 0.04, p = 0.27). There was a moderate sized correlation between MoCA score and test duration (r = −0.31, CI = − 0.49 to − 0.15, p = 0.001), indicating longer test duration with lower MoCA scores.Conclusions: hearTest performance is not impacted by cognitive ability in a population of older adults that included people living with dementia. However, additional test time may be needed for hearTest administration for individuals with cognitive impairment.",

keywords = "automated hearing testing, cognition, mobile health applications, older adults",

author = "Helen Gurteen and Melinda Toomey and Lana Wilson and Bronwyn Franco and Yuanyuan Gu and Chyrisse Heine and Sabrina Lenzen and Piers Dawes",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1080/14992027.2025.2573033",

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T1 - The impact of cognition on hearTest administration in older adults receiving home care

AU - Gurteen, Helen

AU - Toomey, Melinda

AU - Wilson, Lana

AU - Franco, Bronwyn

AU - Gu, Yuanyuan

AU - Heine, Chyrisse

AU - Lenzen, Sabrina

AU - Dawes, Piers

PY - 2025/10/15

Y1 - 2025/10/15

N2 - Objective: This study investigated the impact of cognitive function on the administration of the hearTest automated hearing test in older adults. The relationship between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and three hearTest metrics (false response rate, standard deviation of response time, and test duration) was analysed.Design: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Testing was conducted in participants’ homes or retirement villages.Study Sample: One hundred and five older adults (aged 67–97 years) receiving home-based aged care with MoCA scores ranging between 5 (possible dementia) and 30 (healthy cognition).Results: There was no relationship between MoCA score and false response rate (r = −0.12, CI = −0.42 to 0.06, p = 0.22) or standard deviation of response time (r = −0.11, CI = −0.33 to 0.04, p = 0.27). There was a moderate sized correlation between MoCA score and test duration (r = −0.31, CI = − 0.49 to − 0.15, p = 0.001), indicating longer test duration with lower MoCA scores.Conclusions: hearTest performance is not impacted by cognitive ability in a population of older adults that included people living with dementia. However, additional test time may be needed for hearTest administration for individuals with cognitive impairment.

AB - Objective: This study investigated the impact of cognitive function on the administration of the hearTest automated hearing test in older adults. The relationship between Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and three hearTest metrics (false response rate, standard deviation of response time, and test duration) was analysed.Design: A cross-sectional correlational design was used. Testing was conducted in participants’ homes or retirement villages.Study Sample: One hundred and five older adults (aged 67–97 years) receiving home-based aged care with MoCA scores ranging between 5 (possible dementia) and 30 (healthy cognition).Results: There was no relationship between MoCA score and false response rate (r = −0.12, CI = −0.42 to 0.06, p = 0.22) or standard deviation of response time (r = −0.11, CI = −0.33 to 0.04, p = 0.27). There was a moderate sized correlation between MoCA score and test duration (r = −0.31, CI = − 0.49 to − 0.15, p = 0.001), indicating longer test duration with lower MoCA scores.Conclusions: hearTest performance is not impacted by cognitive ability in a population of older adults that included people living with dementia. However, additional test time may be needed for hearTest administration for individuals with cognitive impairment.

KW - automated hearing testing

KW - cognition

KW - mobile health applications

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The impact of cognition on hearTest administration in older adults receiving home care

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