The Beaufort Sound

The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

photos by PAUL NURNBERG

One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive on a daily basis has to do with the connection between hearing loss and dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There is a lot of emerging literature on this topic and for the sake of this article, I will be focusing primarily on a recent study performed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 466 million people suffer from hearing loss and close to 47 million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s disease or some related form of dementia worldwide. As we age, connections between brain cells can become damaged or even lost, known as brain atrophy or cognitive decline. Consequently, when the cells cannot communicate normally, memory, thinking, and behavior can be adversely affected. This occurs naturally as a part of aging, but research has shown that older adults with hearing loss tend to lose brain mass at much faster rates when compared to individuals with normal hearing.

While we cannot positively say that hearing loss will cause cognitive decline or dementia, there are many similarities between the two. According to Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University, research has shown that common symptoms of hearing loss and dementia can include confusion, isolation, fatigue, stress, and inability to communicate properly. Diminished hearing may also force the brain to devote too much attention to processing sound properly, which in turn does not allow a suitable amount of effort to be put forth on memory and thinking.

By understanding hearing loss, my goal as an audiologist is to make recommendations that can reduce the effects of cognitive decline. Dr. Leslie Soiles at Campaign for Better Hearing stated, “Current research affirms the connection between hearing aid use and reduction in cognitive decline, particularly in the area of working memory. In some instances, hearing aid use is the one controllable and effective action a person can take to help reduce cognitive decline. Today’s hearing aid technology allows for easier speech understanding in the presence of background noise due to improved signal processing. If we are saying that the cognitive load associated with not hearing well triggers a cascade effect on memory and executive function, then improving hearing reduces that cognitive load.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing cognitive decline as a result of hearing loss, would like to learn more on the subject, or have an audiological evaluation, please contact The Beaufort Sound at 843.522.0655 or visit our website www.thebeaufortsound.com for more information.
– Dr. Larry Bridge, Audiologist

Wolfgang, K. (2019). Hearing Loss and Dementia: Breakthrough Research Suggests Causal Link. The Hearing Journal, 72(5), 22-25.