Researchers have found that hearing loss in older adults is associated with brain changes related to speech processing and executive functions, which may increase the risk of dementia. To reduce this risk, protective measures such as hearing aids and avoiding loud noises are recommended.
The increased risk of dementia associated with hearing loss may be due to compensatory changes in the brain.
Hearing loss affects more than 60% of adults over age 70 in the United States and is known to be associated with an increased risk of dementia. The reasons for this association are not fully understood.
Research on hearing impairment and brain changes
To better understand this relationship, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute used audiology testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify hearing loss. was associated with differences in brain regions.
research result
In the November 21, 2023 issue journal Alzheimer’s disease diseasethe researchers found that the hearing-impaired individuals enrolled in this observational study had microstructural changes in the auditory cortex of the temporal lobe and areas of the frontal cortex involved in speech and language processing, as well as areas involved in executive function. reported that it showed a difference in
“These results suggest that hearing loss may lead to changes not only in brain regions associated with attention, but also in brain regions associated with sound processing. “The extra effort we put into this study causes changes in the brain that may lead to an increased risk of dementia,” said lead researcher Linda K. McEvoy, Ph.D., of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Geriatric Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Stated. Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.
Preventive measures and investigation methods
“If so, make sure you put in the cognitive effort necessary to understand audio, such as using subtitles on TV and movies, using live captioning or text-to-speech apps, using hearing aids, and meeting people in quiet rather than noisy environments.” Mitigating interventions are needed. Space may be important to protect the brain and reduce the risk of dementia.”
While attending UC San Diego, McEvoy collected data from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging, a longitudinal cohort study of residents of the Rancho Bernardo suburb of San Diego, and the UC San Diego School of Medicine study. designed and led this study in collaboration with others. In this analysis, 130 study participants visited the research clinic between 2003 and 2005 to undergo hearing threshold testing, and then had their MRI scans performed between 2014 and 2016. received.
Conclusion and recommendations
The results of this study indicate that hearing loss is associated with region-specific brain changes that may occur due to sensory deprivation and increased effort required to understand auditory processing stimuli.
“The findings of this study suggest that people protect their hearing by avoiding prolonged exposure to loud noises, wearing hearing protection when using loud tools, and reducing the use of ototoxic medications. ,” said co-author Dr. Emily T. Reese. at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
References: Linda K. McEvoy, Jaclyn Bergstrom, Donald J. Hagler, Jr., David Wing, and Emily T. Reese. “Related to microstructural changes”, November 21, 2023, alzheimer’s disease journal.
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230767
Co-authors include Jaclyn Bergstrom, Donald J. Hagler Jr, David Wing, and Emilie T. Reas. Both are from the University of California, San Diego.
This research was funded in part by the National Institute on Aging (R00AG057797, R01AG077202, R01AA021187) and the American Federation for Research on Aging/McKnight Foundation (311122-00001). Data collection for the Rancho Bernardo Healthy Aging Study was primarily provided by the following institutions: National Institutes of Health (HV012160, AA021187, AG028507, AG007181, DK31801, HL034591, HS06726, HL089622). Rancho He Bernardo’s research data archiving and sharing was supported by the National Institute on Aging (AG054067).
Disclosure Information: Donald J. Hagler, Jr. is listed as an inventor on 2017 U.S. Patent 9,568,580, “Identification of White Matter Fiber Tracts Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).” The other authors report no conflicts of interest.
