Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

As we get older, the connections that link the cells in our brains start to become damaged and fail. Some are even lost altogether. This process is known as brain atrophy, although a less frightening term and one that is more commonly used to describe the process, is cognitive decline. 

Studies have shown that those who have hearing loss are at an increased risk of cognitive decline in their later years. Why is this? 

How does dementia affect hearing? 

The truth is, studies are ongoing in this field, and we are yet to understand how dementia affects hearing. We don’t even know if dementia causes hearing loss or whether it’s the other way around and hearing loss causes dementia. 

What we do know, however, is that hearing aids seem to be able to prevent cognitive decline, and in some cases, the evidence shows that hearing aids can reverse it. This is early data, but the results look promising, especially when looking at how to delay the onset of cognitive decline through dementia.  

How hearing loss changes the brain 

Some progress has been made in the study looking at the links between hearing loss and cognitive decline. Something that has been carefully looked into is how hearing loss changes the brain. Studies show that those experiencing hearing loss have shrinkage in their brains in the area that is responsible for auditory response. In other words, the neurons in the areas of the brain that focus on complex sentences were much less active in those who have hearing loss. The same was found to be true of those areas that deal with muscle control, memory, speech, self-control and decision-making.  

Can hearing aids reverse cognitive decline? 

The University of Maryland’s Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences (HESP) has conducted a great deal of research and put a lot of time into answering this question. Their studies have borne fruit, showing that using hearing aids can indeed restore cognitive function. 

The study centered around a group of volunteers with moderate hearing loss. Over a period of six months, they were subjected to a variety of different tests designed to assess their cognitive ability and behaviors. In addition to this, research was conducted into their processing speed, working memory and attention span. While these tests were ongoing, HESP measured the electrical activity within various areas of the brain to see what happened in response to speech sounds. 

When the six-month study was over, those who use hearing aids for their hearing loss showed improved neural speech processing and better memory. 

What are the best hearing aids for dementia? 

Assuming the above study is correct – and assuming the ongoing research being conducted by other experts into hearing loss and cognitive decline also conclude with the same idea, it would seem that wearing hearing aids does have at least some effect on cognitive decline, whether that’s a delay in that decline or a reversal of it. 

Not only this but for those who already have cognitive decline or who have been diagnosed with any form of dementia and who also have hearing loss, hearing aids can be supremely helpful. Hearing loss can exacerbate the symptoms of dementia, causing patients to feel more disoriented, plus it can make them potentially more unsafe if they can’t hear that a faucet has been left running or that a smoke alarm is ringing. 

It is crucial, therefore, to find the right hearing aid for those with dementia. Although many of the more modern hearing aids are designed to be very small so as to be entirely discreet, this may not be the best option for someone with dementia; they would be easy to mislay and difficult to use, particularly if the wearer also has dexterity issues. 

There are many different hearing aids on the market, each with its own unique benefits, and the one that is ultimately going to be of most use for someone with dementia is a hard choice.

What might work for one person may not work for another. 

The best option when searching for a hearing aid to combat cognitive decline or to help someone who already experiences dementia is to find an expert to give you advice. 

Contact Physicians Hearing Center

For the best advice when it comes to finding out more about hearing loss and cognitive decline or to discuss which hearing aids are going to be the best to use for a patient with dementia, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Physicians Hearing Center today at (334) 441-4090. We can offer you all the advice and information you need to make the right choice.