by A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of California San Diego and the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute has found that hearing loss is associated with subtle changes in specific brain regions. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, aimed to understand the connection between hearing impairment and an increased risk of dementia.
Hearing loss affects over 60 percent of adults aged 70 and older in the United States, and its relationship with dementia has long been recognized. However, the underlying reasons for this association remain unclear. In an effort to shed light on this issue, the researchers used hearing tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine whether hearing impairment is linked to differences in the brain.
The results revealed that individuals with hearing impairment exhibited microstructural differences in the auditory areas of the temporal lobe, as well as areas of the frontal cortex involved in speech and language processing and executive function. These findings suggest that hearing impairment may lead to changes in the brain regions responsible for sound processing and attention. The effort required to understand sounds could potentially alter the brain, increasing the risk of dementia.
Principal investigator Linda K. McEvoy, Ph.D., from the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, stated that interventions aimed at reducing the cognitive effort needed to understand speech could be crucial in protecting the brain and reducing dementia risk. She suggested strategies such as using subtitles on television and movies, live captioning or speech-to-text apps, wearing hearing aids, and engaging in conversations in quiet environments instead of noisy ones.
The study, led by McEvoy in collaboration with researchers from UC San Diego School of Medicine, utilized data from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging. The longitudinal cohort study, which began in 1972, involved 130 participants who underwent hearing threshold tests between 2003 and 2005. MRI scans were conducted between 2014 and 2016.
The findings of this study highlight the importance of protecting one’s hearing by avoiding prolonged exposure to loud sounds, using hearing protection when exposed to loud tools, and minimizing the use of ototoxic medications. Co-author Emilie T. Reas, Ph.D., assistant professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, emphasized the need for individuals to take preventive measures to safeguard their hearing.
In conclusion, this study adds to the growing body of research on the relationship between hearing loss and dementia. By identifying the specific brain changes associated with hearing impairment, it provides insights into potential mechanisms underlying the increased risk of dementia. The findings also emphasize the importance of proactive measures to protect hearing and reduce the cognitive strain that hearing impairment can lead to.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
