ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Is There a Connection Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline?

by Karen Appold • September 6, 2019

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Best Treatments for Older Patients with Hearing Loss

A variety of auditory rehabilitation devices and strategies exist to help patients with hearing loss. The best choices for an individual patient depend on a variety of factors, including the nature and extent of hearing loss and the patient’s social, occupational, and lifestyle demands, Dr. Hansen said.

You Might Also Like

No related posts.

Explore This Issue
September 2019

For the vast majority of older patients with hearing loss, hearing aids are the most appropriate option. However, for those with very poor word understanding and unsatisfactory performance with hearing aids, cochlear implants can be considered, Dr. Breen said. Candidacy for cochlear implants is primarily based on results from aided speech testing, where physicians measure word and sentence understanding, while patients use their optimally-fit hearing aids.

Despite the benefits of cochlear implants, fewer than 10% of patients in the U.S. who could benefit actually receive one, Dr. Hansen said. Additionally, most adults who ultimately receive cochlear implants do so after a delay of several years from the time they were first identified as good candidates. Many studies confirm that the best outcomes with cochlear implants result when they are placed shortly after hearing loss occurs (JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;141:442–450; Clin Interv Aging. 2018;13:701–712; Sci Rep. 2017;7:16900). “While normal acoustic hearing continues to decline with age, hearing with a cochlear implant tends to improve or at least remains steady over time,”
he added.

Final Thoughts

Hearing loss has only recently been recognized as a potential risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. “What we know from observational studies in humans is that the relationship appears to be strong and consistent across different populations,” Dr. Deal said. “Many risk factors for dementia occur in early life or midlife. I think what’s key is that although we don’t know yet if hearing loss causes dementia, if it does, it is something that we can treat in late life—with the potential to have a great impact on delaying dementia.” 


Karen Appold is a freelance medical writer based in Pennsylvania.

Studies Investigate Link Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline

The question of whether or not treatment of hearing loss actually staves off or slows the development of cognitive issues is currently being investigated. The Aging and Cognitive Health in Elders (ACHIEVE) study, headed by two physicians at Johns Hopkins, should definitively resolve this issue. Funded by the National Institute on Aging, the trial enrolled participants aged 70 to 84 years with mild to moderate hearing loss and then randomized them either to a best practices hearing rehabilitation regimen or to a health education program. Results are expected in 2022 after researchers have followed the participants for three years, said Dr. Deal.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 | Single Page

Filed Under: Features, Home Slider Tagged With: aging, dementia, hearing lossIssue: September 2019

You Might Also Like:

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Second Victims: The Effects of a Medical Error on Physicians Can Be Devastating
    • Is Middle Ear Pressure Affected by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Use?
    • Keeping Watch for Skin Cancers on the Head and Neck
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Rating Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Severity: How Do Two Common Instruments Compare?
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • What Happens to Medical Students Who Don’t Match?
    • Complications for When Physicians Change a Maiden Name
    • Qualitative Research Shows How Patients Feel About Quality-of-Life Issues
    • How to: A Dynamic Endonasal Columellar Strut Placement
    • Second Victims: The Effects of a Medical Error on Physicians Can Be Devastating
    • Advanced Degrees Can Help Otolaryngologists Better Understand the Business of Medicine
    • Laser Laryngeal Surgery Is Safe Under THRIVE

Polls

Have you ever been, or have you ever known someone who has been a second victim?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2023 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939