Study: Hearing Loss in Older Adults Linked to Brain Changes, Potentially Increasing Dementia Risk
A recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has found a link between hearing loss in older adults and changes in the brain that could potentially increase the risk of dementia. Researchers from the University of California San Diego and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute discovered that individuals with hearing impairment exhibited microstructural differences in specific brain regions related to sound processing and executive function.
The study, which involved hearing tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), aimed to better understand the connection between hearing impairment and dementia risk. The results indicated that hearing impairment is associated with changes in the auditory areas of the temporal lobe and in areas of the frontal cortex involved with speech and language processing, as well as areas involved with executive function.
Principal investigator Linda K. McEvoy, Ph.D. of UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science suggested that the additional effort required to understand speech due to hearing impairment may produce changes in the brain that lead to an increased risk of dementia. As a result, protective measures such as using hearing aids, avoiding loud noises, and visiting with people in quiet environments instead of noisy spaces are recommended to mitigate this risk.
Co-author Emilie T. Reas, Ph.D., assistant professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of protecting one’s hearing by reducing exposure to loud sounds, wearing hearing protection when using loud tools, and minimizing the use of ototoxic medications.
The study, which included data from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging, a longitudinal cohort study of residents in San Diego, highlights the significance of taking preventive measures to reduce the cognitive effort required to understand speech, thereby protecting the brain and minimizing the risk of dementia.
The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the American Federation for Aging Research/McKnight Foundation, as well as other supporting organizations. The study’s findings underscore the importance of addressing hearing impairment as a potential risk factor for dementia and the need for interventions to reduce cognitive effort and protect brain health.