Researchers discovered that hearing loss in older grownups is connected to brain modifications in locations associated with sound processing and executive functions, possibly increasing the threat of dementia. Protective procedures such as hearing help and preventing loud sounds are recommended to reduce this threat.
Increased dementia threat related to hearing disability might originate from offsetting brain modifications.
Hearing loss impacts more than 60 percent of grownups aged 70 and older in the United States and is understood to be associated with an increased threat of dementia. The factor for this association is not completely comprehended.
Research on Hearing Impairment and Brain Changes
To much better comprehend the connection, a group of University of California San Diego and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute scientists used hearing tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to figure out whether hearing disability is related to distinctions in particular brain areas.
Study Findings
In the November 21, 2023 problem of the Journal of < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Alzheimer’s</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Alzheimer's disease is a disease that attacks the brain, causing a decline in mental ability that worsens over time. It is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. There is no current cure for Alzheimer's disease, but there are medications that can help ease the symptoms.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes ="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >Alzheimer’sDisease, scientists reported that people registered in this observational research study who had hearing disability displayed microstructural distinctions in the acoustic locations of the temporal lobe and in locations of the frontal cortex included with speech and language processing, in addition to locations included with executive function.
(************* )“These results suggest that hearing impairment may lead to changes in brain areas related to processing of sounds, as well as in areas of the brain that are related to attention. The extra effort involved with trying to understand sounds may produce changes in the brain that lead to increased risk of dementia,” stated primary private investigatorLinda K. McEvoy,Ph D., UCSanDiegoHerbertWertheimSchool ofPublicHealth andHumanLongevityScience teacher emeritus and senior private investigator at theKaiserPermanenteWashingtonHealthResearchInstitute
PreventiveMeasures andStudyMethodology
“If so, interventions that help reduce the cognitive effort required to understand speech — such as the use of subtitles on television and movies, live captioning or speech-to-text apps, hearing aids, and visiting with people in quiet environments instead of noisy spaces — could be important for protecting the brain and reduce the risk of dementia.”
McEvoy developed and led the research study while at UCSanDiego, in partnership withReas and UCSanDiegoSchool ofMedicine private investigators who collected information from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Health Aging, a longitudinal associate research study of homeowners of the Rancho Bernardo residential area in San Diego that released in1972 For this analysis, 130 research study individuals went through hearing limit tests in research study center sees in between 2003 and 2005 and consequently had MRI scans in between 2014 and 2016.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The outcomes of the research study reveal that hearing disability is related to regionally particular brain modifications that might take place due to sensory deprivation and to the increased effort needed to comprehend acoustic processing stimulations.
“The findings emphasize the importance of protecting one’s hearing by avoiding prolonged exposure to loud sounds, wearing hearing protection when using loud tools and reducing the use of ototoxic medications,” stated co-author Emilie T. Reas,Ph D., assistant teacher at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Reference: “Elevated Pure Tone Thresholds Are Associated with Altered Microstructure in Cortical Areas Related to Auditory Processing and Attentional Allocation” by Linda K. McEvoy, Jaclyn Bergstrom, Donald J. Hagler Jr, David Wing and Emilie T. Reas, 21 November 2023, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
DOI: 10.3233/ JAD-230767
Co- authors consist of: Jaclyn Bergstrom, Donald J. Hagler Jr, David Wing, and Emilie T. Reas, all of UC San Diego.
This research study was moneyed, in part, by the National Institute on Aging (R00 AG057797, R01 AG077202, R01 AA021187) and the American Federation for Aging Research/ McKnight Foundation (311122-00001). Data collection for the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging was supplied mainly by the < period class ="glossaryLink" aria-describedby ="tt" data-cmtooltip ="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>National Institutes of Health</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. Founded in 1887, it is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NIH conducts its own scientific research through its Intramural Research Program (IRP) and provides major biomedical research funding to non-NIH research facilities through its Extramural Research Program. With 27 different institutes and centers under its umbrella, the NIH covers a broad spectrum of health-related research, including specific diseases, population health, clinical research, and fundamental biological processes. Its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.</div>" data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]" >NationalInstitutes ofHealth( HV012160, AA021187, AG028507, AG007181, DK31801, HL034591, HS06726, HL089622).Archiving and sharing ofRanchoBernardo research study information was supported by theNationalInstitute onAging( AG054067).
Disclosures:Donald J.HaglerJr is noted as a developer on United StatesPatent 9,568,580,2017, “Identifying white matter fiber tracts using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).”Other authors report no disputes of interest.
