Global Sensory Impairment in Older Adults in the United States

• Autores: Kevin J. Lopez, Kristen Wroblewski, Megan Huisingh-Scheetz, David W. Kern, Rachel C. Chen, L P.- Schumm, William Dale, Martha K. McClintock, Jayant M. Pinto, Camil Correia
• Localización: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, ISSN 0002-8614, Vol. 64, Nº. 2, 2016, págs. 306-313
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives To determine whether there may be a common mechanism resulting in global sensory impairment of the five classical senses (vision, smell, hearing, touch, and taste) in older adults.

    Design Representative, population-based study.

    Setting National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

    Participants Community-dwelling U.S. adults aged 57 to 85.

    Measurements The frequency with which impairment co-occurred across the five senses was estimated as an integrated measure of sensory aging. It was hypothesized that multisensory deficits would be common and reflect global sensory impairment that would largely explain the effects of age, sex, and race on sensory dysfunction.

    Results Two-thirds of subjects had two or more sensory deficits, 27% had just one, and 6% had none. Seventy-four percent had impairment in taste, 70% in touch, 22% in smell, 20% in corrected vision, and 18% in corrected hearing. Older adults, men, African Americans, and Hispanics had greater multisensory impairment (all P < .01). Global sensory impairment largely accounted for the effects of age, sex, and race on the likelihood of impairment in each of the five senses.

    Conclusion Multisensory impairment is prevalent in older U.S. adults. These data support the concept of a common process that underlies sensory aging across the five senses. Clinicians assessing individuals with a sensory deficit should consider further evaluation for additional co-occurring sensory deficits.