Dementia and hearing loss: what’s the relationship?
By Elizabeth Brassine, Au.D.
An estimated four to five million Americans have some form of dementia. Dementia affects about 1% of people aged 60 to 64 years old and as many as 30 to 50% of people older than 85 years. Not surprisingly, hearing loss also becomes more prevalent as a person ages. Researchers have long wondered: could the two be related?
A study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institute of Aging determined that senior citizens with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time versus those who retain their hearing.
Researchers discussed a number of factors that could explain the correlation between dementia and hearing loss. Two factors rose to the top as the leading candidates for a causal relationship between hearing loss and dementia: 1) exhaustion of cognitive resources and 2) social isolation.
Exhaustion of cognitive resources: Simply defined, exhaustion of cognitive reserves means hearing-impaired people devote so much of their mental concentration to listening and understanding that little remains available for other purposes. In fact, hearing care professionals have long observed a “fatigue factor” among people who struggle to hear.
Social isolation: Previous studies have indicated an association, though not necessarily a causal relationship, between poor social networks and dementia. Hearing care professionals have seen a similar relationship between hearing loss and social isolation. Specifically, hearing loss can make social situations so taxing, individuals avoid them, even if the activity was previously deemed pleasurable. In humans, perhaps the reduced stimulation of social isolation resulting from hearing loss may promote physical changes which negatively affect cognitive function.
A correlation between hearing loss and quality of life is well established according to a 1999 National Council on Aging study. Substantial evidence also points to a positive impact on quality of life when the hearing loss is treated with hearing instruments. Among the cited benefits: reduced fatigue and increased social interaction. Whether these benefits extend to an improvement in cognitive function or a delay in cognitive deterioration has not been determined. At the very least, hearing impaired patients who receive the appropriate intervention can expect enhancements to other areas of their lives.
Elizabeth Brassine is a Doctor of Audiology and the owner of Hearing Services of McKinney. https://hearinmckinney.com/audiologist
