World Alzheimer’s Month: Correlations with Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

Designated by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), World Alzheimer’s Month occurs each September and is dedicated to raising awareness of and challenges with the stigmas associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Public awareness events are a time for individuals, organizations, and communities to share the message and lend support to care-givers, professionals, and individuals with Alzheimer’s.

Recent studies suggest hearing aid users as having lower risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s, as hearing aid use is correlated with reduced cognitive decline (Yeo et al, 2022). Being able to hear and communicate with others is a large part of our daily lives, and how we connect to those around us. As individuals begin to lose their hearing, they may adapt and compensate or they may recede from interaction due to embarrassment or negative self-perception. Be mindful of loved one’s potential embarrassment, and encourage them to seek evaluation and treatment for hearing loss, which may impact cognitive decline.

In June 2022, the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (NAPA) marked its 10th anniversary, with federal agencies sharing their milestones over the last decade to combat the disease, as well as renewed commitment to yearly updates.

Join with the American Academy of Audiology as we too, offer our support in addressing Alzheimer’s.

References

Baltes P, Lindenberger U. (1997) Intellectual functioning in old and very old age: crosssectional results from the Berlin Aging Study. Psychol Aging 12(3):410–432.

Deal JA, Goman AM, Albert MS, et al. (2018) Hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: design and methods of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer’s Dementia Transl Res Clin Interv 4:499–507.

Lindenberger U, Baltes PB. (1994) Sensory functioning and intelligence in old age: a strong connection. Psychol Aging 9(3):339–355.

Livingston G, Sommerlad A, Orgeta V, et al. (2017) Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Lancet 390(10113):2673–2734.

Lin FR. (2021) Hearing loss and the dementia connection. (accessed April 12, 2023).

Liu C and Tzu-Chi C. (2019) Association of hearing loss with dementia. JAMA Netw Open. 2(7):e198112. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8112.

Marinelli JP, Lohse CM, Fussell WL, et al. (2022) Association between hearing loss and development of dementia using formal behavioral audiometric testing within the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA): a prospective population-based study. Lancet Healthy Longy 3 (12):e817–e824.

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. (accessed September 26, 2023).

Pichora-Fuller K. (2023) Is hearing loss in older adults predictive of later development of dementia and does hearing care modify dementia risk? Canadian Aud 10(1):1–26.

Powell DS, Oh ES, Lin FR, Deal JA. (2021) Hearing impairment and cognition in an aging world. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 22(4):387–403

Yeo BSY, Song HJJM, Toh EMS, et al. (2022) Association of hearing aids and cochlear implants with cognitive decline and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Neurol. In press.