Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience最新文献

{"title":"The mediating role of depression on the association between physical activity and cognitive function among older adults.","authors":"HuanRui Zhang, Wen Tian, GuoXian Qi, XiuFang Wei","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1470256","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1470256","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous studies had showed that physical activity (PA) can effectively reduce cognitive decline. Nonetheless, it is still unclear whether depression can mediate the relationship between PA and cognitive decline.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study encompassed 2,681 older adults (≥ 60 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study during 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 cycles. PA was assessed, including recreation activity, work activity, and walking/bicycling. Depression was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and cognitive function was assessed through a series of cognitive tests at the Mobile Examination Center. Utilizing weighted multivariable linear regression, we assessed the associations among PA, depression, and cognitive function. Additionally, a mediation model was employed to investigate how depression mediates the relationship between PA and cognitive decline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that only moderate to high-intensity recreation activity and depression were associated with better cognitive function, including performance on the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and the overall cognitive function (composite z-score), following adjustments for potential confounding factors. Depression emerged as a mediator in the relationship of moderate to high-intensity recreation activity with AFT, DSST, and the composite z-score, mediating 6.5%, 12.3%, and 10.5% of the overall association, respectively. Furthermore, in the sensitivity analysis that excluded participants with a history of stroke, the sensitivity analysis results remained consistent and stable.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study found that in older adults, increasing engagement in moderate to high-intensity recreation activity, rather than work activity or walking/bicycling, is related with a reduction in cognitive decline. Notably, depression emerged as a pivotal mediating factor in this relationship.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1470256"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12446248/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Explainable machine learning for early detection of Parkinson's disease in aging populations using vocal biomarkers.","authors":"Bright Egbo, Zhanbota Nigmetolla, Naveed Ahmad Khan, Prashant K Jamwal","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1672971","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1672971","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that significantly affects the aging population, creating a growing burden on global health systems. Early detection of PD is clinically challenging due to the gradual and ambiguous onset of symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study presents a machine-learning framework for the early identification of PD using non-invasive biomedical voice biomarkers from the UCI Parkinson's dataset. The dataset consists of 195 sustained phonation recordings from 31 participants (23 PD and 8 healthy controls, ages 46-85). The methodology includes subject-level stratified splitting and normalization, along with BorderlineSMOTE to address class imbalance. Initially, an XGBoost model is applied to select the top 10 acoustic features, followed by a Bayesian-optimized XGBoost classifier, with the decision threshold tuned via F1-maximization on validation data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>On the held-out test set, the model achieves 98.0% accuracy, 0.97 macro-F1, and 0.991 ROC-AUC. This performance exceeds that of a deep neural network baseline by 4.0 percentage points in accuracy (94.0% to 98.0%), 4.3 percentage points in macro-F1 (92.7% to 97.0%), and 0.050 in AUC (0.941 to 0.991). Compared to a classical SVM, it outperforms by 7.0 percentage points in accuracy (91.0% to 98.0%), 6.5 percentage points in macro-F1 (90.5% to 97.0%), and 0.089 in AUC (0.902 to 0.991).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Model decisions are elucidated using SHAP, offering global and patient-specific insights into the influential voice features. These findings indicate the feasibility of a non-invasive, scalable, and explainable voice-based tool for early PD screening, highlighting its potential integration into mobile or telehealth diagnostic platforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1672971"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12446257/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Multifactorial balance assessment, falls prevention and rehabilitation.","authors":"Dimitrios Kikidis, Brooke Nairn, Christos Nikitas, Marousa Pavlou, Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, Doris-Eva Bamiou","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1680310","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1680310","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1680310"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12452386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145130620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression symptoms in people of Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Xing Yu, Qianhao Wu, Yuewen Liu, Peipei Han, Xiaoyu Chen, Qi Guo","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1440850","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1440850","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>We aim to conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials, RCTs) to quantify the effects of CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT), including both remote and in-person modalities, on anxiety, depressive symptoms, and QoL (Quality of Life, QoL) in people with PD (Parkinson's disease, PD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight databases were systematically searched for existing RCTs of CBT in people of PD published in English or Chinese. Searches were updated to February 29, 2024. Methodological quality was appraised with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A meta-analysis of comparative effects was performed using the Review Manager v. 5.4 software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>16 RCTs were included in the study. The studies involved a total of 682 participants, the mean age of participants ranged from 43 to 85. Depression scores of people in the CBT intervention group were significantly improved (SMD: -1.01, 95CI [-1.27, -0.74], <i>P</i> < 0.001), the overall meta-analysis result showed that the CBT group had significant improvement in anxiety compared to the control group (SMD: -2.00, 95CI [-2.74, -1.26], <i>P</i> < 0.001), results did not show a significant improvement in QoL in CBT group (SMD: -0.40, 95CI [-0.84, 0.04], <i>P</i> = 0.08).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence that CBT intervention significantly improved anxiety and depression in People of PD compared to the control group, whether through offline or remote intervention. No improvement effect of CBT intervention on the QoL of People of PD was found. In the future application of telemedicine, interdisciplinary interventions should be explored to improve the motor and non-motor symptoms and QoL of People of PD.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails. Identifier: CRD42024526608.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1440850"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12447579/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Muscle strength, EEG biomarkers, and working memory as interacting predictors of cognitive function in cognitively impaired older adults.","authors":"Yagang Song, Shuqi Jia, Xing Wang, Aiwei Wang, Shufan Li, Feng Ding, Tao Ma, Xueping Wu","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1641209","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1641209","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cognitive decline in older adults is a pressing public health concern, with emerging evidence suggesting that both muscle strength and neural function may influence cognitive outcomes. However, the integrative mechanisms linking these domains remain insufficiently understood.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to explore whether resting-state EEG characteristics and working memory mediate the relationship between muscle strength and global cognitive function in older adults with cognitive impairment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 137 older adults (mean age = 72.65 ± 7.75) with cognitive impairment. Muscle strength was assessed using grip strength and 30 s chair stand tests. Resting-state EEG power across six frequency bands was recorded from 16 electrodes. Working memory was evaluated using a two-back task, and cognitive function was assessed via the MoCA. Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro (Model 4), controlling for age, sex, education, and BMI.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Grip strength showed significant direct effects on cognitive function (<i>β</i> = 0.399, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with partial mediation by both working memory (β = 0.070, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and resting-state EEG (<i>β</i> = 0.150, <i>p</i> < 0.01). In contrast, lower limb strength was mediated only by working memory (β = 0.078, <i>p</i> < 0.05), while EEG-based mediation was not significant. The overall model explained 50.7% of the variance in cognitive outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the distinct mediating roles of working memory and EEG features in the muscle strength-cognition relationship. Grip strength, as a potential biomarker, may reflect central nervous system integrity and serve as a target for cognitive health interventions in aging populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1641209"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12443566/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on neurophysiologic motor function in Parkinson's patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Fangcheng Ye, Yinjin Shao, Guihua Wu, Miao Huang, Hui Huang","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1621052","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1621052","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether tACS improves neurophysiologic motor function in patients with Parkinson's patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for eligible studies from inception to March 2025. Measured outcomes included two indicators of neurophysiologic function: motor evoked potentials and short-term intracortical inhibition. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and extracted data were qualitatively synthesized and meta-analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 145 studies identified from the electronic databases, 7 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Our results indicate that tACS significantly improved motor function in patients with PD compared to patients without tACS treatment. Motor function was assessed using motor evoked potentials (standardized mean deviation [SMD] = 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.02 to 3.27, <i>I</i> ² = 39%, <i>p</i> < 0.00001) and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SMD = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.47 to 2.30, <i>I</i> ² = 47%, <i>p</i> < 0.00001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggested that tACS was strongly associated with improvements in motor evoked potentials and short-interval intracortical inhibition and could significantly improve neuromotor function. The results of this study provide additional evidence for the effectiveness of tACS and encourage the use of tACS in PD rehabilitation in clinical practice.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>The study protocol is registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews under the registration number CRD420251016245.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1621052"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442322/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145085591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corpus callosum microstructure in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes): associations with age, handedness and cognition.","authors":"Maëlig Chauvel, Ivy Uszynski, Cyril Poupon, William D Hopkins","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1611611","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1611611","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studies on the human brain have emphasized the loss of gray matter volume and decreased thickness during normal aging, along with variations in the density of small axon fibers across different regions of the corpus callosum (CC). Here, we investigated age-related changes in white matter connectivity in the CC and their association with handedness and cognitive decline in chimpanzees. To this end, microstructural measures of CC morphology were obtained from a sample of 49 chimpanzees. Initial assessments included quantifying streamline density, fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) values, which were then correlated with age and cognitive measures using the Primate Cognition Test Battery. We found an inverse association between streamline density and age in chimpanzees, particularly in the anterior and central CC regions. We also found an inverse association between FA and age in the splenium. Lastly, after controlling for age and sex, chimpanzees with higher cognition values also had higher FA values in anterior regions of the CC. Collectively, our results show that chimpanzees diverged from the typical human pattern, suggesting stronger interhemispheric connectivity integrity in frontal cortical brain regions compared to humans.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1611611"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12444887/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145112260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of plasma von Willebrand Factor levels with cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in older adults without dementia.","authors":"Pan Fu, Meiling Hu","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1595071","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1595071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous studies have suggested that von Willebrand Factor (VWF) may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the association between plasma VWF levels and cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in older adults without dementia remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between plasma von Willebrand Factor (VWF) levels and cognitive decline, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), as well as the volumes of six brain regions: the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, ventricles, and whole brain. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between plasma VWF levels and longitudinal changes in cognitive function and neuroimaging markers over time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study cohort consisted of 340 older adults without dementia at baseline. We observed that lower plasma VWF levels were associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline (MMSE: coefficient = 0.204, 95% CIs = [0.030, 0.378], <i>p</i>-value = 0.021; CDR-SB: coefficient = -0.268, 95% CIs = [-0.374, -0.163], <i>p</i>-value <0.001). Additionally, lower plasma VWF levels were linked to a more rapid reduction in the volumes of the hippocampus (coefficient = 0.016, 95% CIs = [0.004, 0.027], <i>p</i>-value = 0.009), entorhinal cortex (coefficient = 0.031, 95% CIs = [0.014, 0.048], <i>p</i>-value <0.001), and fusiform gyrus (coefficient = 0.047, 95% CIs = [0.008, 0.085], <i>p</i>-value = 0.017), as well as a faster enlargement of the ventricles (coefficient = -0.380, 95% CIs = [-0.558, -0.203], <i>p</i>-value <0.001). However, no significant relationships were observed between plasma VWF levels and changes in the volumes of the middle temporal gyrus or the whole brain (all <i>p</i>-values > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings may contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the vascular contributions to cognitive function and may help identify potential biomarkers for the early detection and intervention of AD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1595071"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12440976/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145085636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between peripheral nerve stimulation and cognitive performance: insights from healthy individuals and various disease pathologies.","authors":"Xing Liu, Chenyi Yang, Xinyi Wang, Zixuan Wang, Huihui Liao, Huan Liu, Miao Zhang, Lin Zhang, Haiyun Wang","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1518198","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1518198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cognitive dysfunction can manifest as declines in memory, learning, and attention, stemming from multifaceted factors. Risk factors encompass a spectrum including genetics, lifestyle choices, and personal medical history. Conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), depression, epilepsy, and exposure to surgical/anesthesia may correlate with cognitive impairment. Recent advancements in nerve stimulation techniques indicate significant potential for enhancing cognitive function. Understanding the mechanisms of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) can improve the management of cognitive impairment and promote its clinical application, advancing cognitive rehabilitation for patients. Following a comprehensive search and selection process, we finally included 47 studies that examined the effects of PNS on cognitive performances of both healthy individuals and various disease pathologies. The aggregated findings suggest that PNS influences crucial brain pathways, such as the ganglia and nucleus tractus solitarius, which project to areas essential for memory consolidation, including the hippocampus and amygdala. PNS improves cognitive function through mechanisms such as neurotransmitter modulation and neuronal activity regulation. However, the effects of PNS on cognitive function vary depending on the pathological condition. Additionally, the efficacy of PNS is influenced by both the intensity and pattern of stimulation. In summary, PNS appears to be a promising modality for enhancing cognitive function, particularly in neurological disorders such as AD and epilepsy. While further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms, current evidence suggests that PNS could offer a valuable therapeutic option for improving memory and attention. With its potential for broad application and non-invasive nature, PNS represents an exciting avenue for future research and clinical practice in cognitive enhancement.</p>","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1518198"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12436292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145080137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual improvement of cognitive function and auditory ability in elderly patients with hearing impairment by transcranial direct current stimulation-assisted auditory rehabilitation training.","authors":"Ying Zhou, Haolun Han, Xiaoli Zhang, Yiyan Zhang, Wenbo Duan, Liyun Su, Baowei Li, Zhezhe Sun, Lei Wang, Gang Wang","doi":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1591496","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fnagi.2025.1591496","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;To analyze the dual improvement effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-assisted auditory rehabilitation training on cognitive function and auditory ability of elderly patients with hearing impairment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;100 cases of elderly patients with hearing impairment admitted to our hospital between January 2020 and January 2025 were prospectively selected as study subjects. The patients were divided into sham tDCS group (&lt;i&gt;N&lt;/i&gt; = 50) and tDCS group (&lt;i&gt;N&lt;/i&gt; = 50) according to the randomized numeric table method. All patients received conventional auditory rehabilitation training, and were intervened for 1 month, 3 times/week, 1 h each time. tDCS was given to patients in both groups before conventional auditory rehabilitation training, patients in the tDCS group underwent dual-site sequential high-definition tDCS stimulation, and patients in the sham tDCS group used sham dual-site sequential high definition tDCS stimulation. The main clinical assessments included hearing thresholds, Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening (HHIE-S), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Communication Performance Assessment (CPA), Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores of the patients in the two groups before and after the treatment. The correlation between hearing threshold, HHIE-S and MoCA and MMSE scores were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, degree of hearing loss, education level, smoking and drinking habits, laboratory indicators [FBG, ALP, ALT, AST, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C], comorbidities, and family history of hearing loss (all &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &gt; 0.05). The hearing thresholds and HHIE-S scores of patients in both groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (both &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.001), and the hearing thresholds and HHIE-S scores of patients in the tDCS group after treatment were significantly lower than those in the sham tDCS group (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001 and &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.002, respectively). The MoCA and MMSE scores of patients in both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (both &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001), and the MoCA and MMSE scores of patients in the tDCS group were significantly higher than those in the sham tDCS group after treatment (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.048 and &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.038, respectively). Hearing thresholds and HHIE-S were negatively correlated with MoCA and MMSE scores in elderly patients with hearing impairment (all &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.05). Bootstrap mediation analysis suggests that changes in hearing impairment may partially mediate improvements in cognitive function. After treatment, the total CPA and SF-36 scores of all patients were higher than before treatment, and the total PRCA-24 score was lower ","PeriodicalId":12450,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1591496"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12434129/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145074791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}