Dementia and Your Ears
You do not hear with your ears. Your ears are merely an appendage to collect sound and direct it to your brain where the sound is processed, sorted, filtered and deciphered so you are able to understand the world around you. As processing, sorting and filtering becomes increasingly more difficult, your ability to understand is negatively correlated as comprehension decreases.
Individuals with hearing loss show a 40% accelerated rate of cognitive decline (Frank Lin, MD., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins). With significant to profound the hearing loss, there is a greater the likelihood of developing a cognitive disorder and the steeper decline in mental function. Even those with a very mild hearing loss (even before the hearing loss becomes noticeable), these individuals show accelerated rates of gray matter shrinkage in the brain.
Johnathan Pelle at the University of Pennsylvania state, “As hearing ability declines, hearing aids should be seriously considered not only to improve hearing, but to preserve the brain.” (Science Daily) The Lancet, in 2017, published the findings of a study conducted by twenty-four international researchers who identified nine risk factors for dementia. Hearing loss is the highest contributing factor for developing dementia.
THE LINK
Lack of regular social interactions leads to mental stagnation and deterioration. It takes a great deal of extra effort and concentrated listening for those with hearing loss to comprehend what is happening around them.
This creates a significant strain on the brain (cognitive overload) and interferes with normal cognitive function. In addition, hearing loss causes individuals to withdraw socially as it becomes a burden and a barrier to meaningful connection to friends and family.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Get a baseline hearing test and brain processing evaluation now. If you have any problems hearing or understanding those in your life, seek out help and treatment immediately.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
A study conducted by Harvard University found an overwhelming relation between heart disease and hearing loss. “Hearing loss has occurred 54% more often in people with heart disease than in the general population.” Heart disease can be caused by problems with blood flow and blood vessels. It often results from plaque build-up on the arteries (atherosclerosis) which makes it difficult for blood to flow through the veins, arteries, vessels and bodily organs – especially the inner ear.
Hearing loss is not only the consequence of ineadequate blood flow to the auditory system. Recent research (Hull RH, Kerschen SR, The influence of cardiovascular health on peripheral and central auditory function in adults: a research review. AmerJournAud 2010;19(1):9-6. shows corresponding damage to the brainstem and auditory pathways resulting in difficulties processing, decoding and understanding speech.
THE LINK
The inner ear is extremely sensitive to blood flow. Inadequate blood flow and blood vessel trauma damages the nerves of the inner ear. Hearing loss could be an early, in fact the first, warning sign of an impending heart attack or stroke.
The nerves of the inner ear are so sensitive and fragile that Harvard researchers concluded the ear might be the first organ to feel the effects of cardiovascular disease. They stated that if blow flow is inadequate. The nerves of the inner ear are so sensitive that hearing loss can be an early warning sign of impending cardiovascular disease.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Get a baseline hearing test now. If you are receiving treatment for cardiovascular disease, monitor your hearing regularly for any changes.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chromic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissues. The result is inflammation, pain, deformity of the affected areas and stiffness in the joints. Astudy conducted by the Arthritis Foundation found an overwhelming connection between rheumatoid arthritis and hearing loss, with a 42.7% correlation.
Hearing loss is the most common health-related issue, with up to 72% prevalence in rheumatoid arthritis (The Open Rheumatology Journal, Jan. 2016)
THE LINK
Rheumatoid Arthritis is associated with many other diseases that are also known to adversely affect hearing such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and kidney dysfunction.
Another link between rheumatoid arthritis and hearing loss is medications. Many medications are known to cause hearing loss. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which is often used to manage the pain of R.A., can cause hearing problems. A 2012 study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed that taking these pain medications six or seven times a week increased the risk of hearing loss by 24%. These painkillers, such as Advil, Motrin or Tylenol restrict blood flow to the inner ear. Blood carries oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body, so when less blood reaches the ear, the cells become damaged, resulting in loss of hearing.
What you can do
Get a baseline hearing test now. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your medications should be reviewed and your hearing monitored regularly for any associative changes.
Dr. Ronna Fisher, Au.D.
Founder & President
Hearing Health Center, Inc.
Everyone (well, everyone over 50) worries about losing their memory and fears the “A” word…Alzheimer’s. We all know someone who has it; and we all panic at the thought of, “that could be me.” So we take care of ourselves. We try to eat better, exercise some, check our blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly and suffer through periodic prostate/mammogram/colonoscopy exams.
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. YOU ARE PROBABLY MISSING A SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL CHECKUP.
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD A HEARING TEST? GRADE SCHOOL?
No one wants to admit or deal with difficulty hearing and understanding. The majority of people assume that frequently misunderstanding conversations and saying, “What,” “huh,” “pardon me,” all the time is just another unwanted consequence of getting older. Difficulty hearing is usually dismissed and ignored: even by your doctors. Most doctors don’t even ask about your hearing let alone include a hearing check as part of your routine physical.
A multitude of studies at John Hopkins¹, CUNY Graduate Center², and elsewhere³ have confirmed definitive links between untreated hearing loss and brain function.
CONSIDER THE FACTS:
- You don’t hear with your ears. Your ears are just an appendage to catch the sound signals and send it to your brain to process.
- There is a specific area of the brain (Wernicke’s area) whose sole purpose is to decipher and make sense of the sound it receives from your ears.
- Your ability to hear, process and understand is directly related to your cognitive functioning.
- When your hearing diminishes, your brain stops getting the stimulation it needs to process information.
- Lack of adequate stimulation causes deterioration. It’s a classic case of “use it or lose it.”
- Your brain’s ability to hear, understand and process sound information is directly related to your memory. You can’t remember what you didn’t hear!
CLINICAL STUDY RESULTS:
- 83% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have untreated hearing loss
- Even a minimal decrease in hearing doubles the risk of dementia. A moderate loss (the majority of people seeking treatment) raises the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s 500%.
- Every test of cognitive function was significantly worse in scores for mental status, memory and executive functions in those with untreated hearing problems.4
- When your hearing diminishes, your brain stops getting the stimulation it needs to process information.
- Hearing loss actually shrinks the brain one cubic centimeter every year due to the loss of grey matter and brain tissue.5
- Diminished hearing ability significantly affects your kinesthetic sense of your environment. You are 300% more likely to lose your balance and fall when your hearing decreases.6
- Early detection and treatment increases cognition, improves memory, preservers speech processing ability and enriches personal relationships
- When treated with hearing aids, 33% of Alzheimer’s patients were reclassified to a less severe category
- Appropriate hearing treatment increases cognitive function, enhances memory, improves balance and decreases depression.7
- In every case, caregivers reported that hearing treatment improved their relationship.
Why do we frequently check our blood pressure, heart, cholesterol levels, moles, eyes and teeth? Why do we have regular checkups and examinations?
Because early detection and treatment is critical!
Difficulty hearing is not just an inconvenience and getting your hearing checked is no longer optional. Yearly hearing checkups are vital to your overall health can well being.
And it could save your brain!
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_and_dementia_linked_in_study
- Weinstein, BE, Amsel, L (1986). Hearing loss and senile dementia in the institutionalized elderly. Clinical Gerontologist, 4: 3-15.
- JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 21, 2013
- Uhlmann, RF, Larson, EB, Rees, TS, Koepsell, TD, Duckert, LG (l989). Relationship of hearing impairment to dementia and cognitive dysfunction in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 261(13): 1916-9.
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_accelerated_brain_tissue_loss_
- http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_three_fold_risk_of_falling
- http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151029005494/en/Long-Term-Study-Show-Wearing-Hearing-Aids-Reduces
Our world has become increasingly loud in the past 20 years; think cars, trains, subways, and the general hum of the city life. Our exposure to these sounds alone is most likely not enough to be considered a hazard to our hearing, but they do influence how we listen to other mediums which may be a danger to our hearing.
Since the turn of the century, our access to sound has increased; personal music players and blue tooth headsets. We have really taken our access to sound “on-the-go” into what could be a 24/7 experience. The ability to listen to music on your walk to work or during a workout is fun and exciting, and the ability to make a phone call while grocery shopping or multi-tasking is surely convenient- but I have to wonder…where is your volume set?
Most personal headsets are offered of a generic fit of “one size fits all”. The problem with this non-custom fit model is that it allows room for acoustic leakage, which means that sound is able to leak in and out through the cracks. If ambient sound is leaking in, the result is an increase in volume so that we can hear our phone call or music over the background noise.
This is where we go from loud to TOO LOUD.
The best thing that you can do to avoid hearing loss due to exposure to loud sound from your headphones is to purchase custom-fit sleeves for your ear-buds. A mold of your ear canal, taken by an Audiologist, will be used to create a soft custom piece that will fit right over your ear-bud, giving you the isolation from the ambient sound that you need in order to turn the volume down.
A good rule of thumb is the 80% rule; always keep the volume at no more than 80% of full on volume. In addition to keeping your ears safe, you always want to be able to hear other things going on around you, and never want someone from the other end of the bus to be able to know exactly what song you’re listening to. And when in doubt, consult your Audiologist!! We are here to help!
Have you ever wondered if there are foods you can eat to help improve your hearing? Read on!
by Ali Marquess, Audiology Technician
Recent studies have shown the correlation of magnesium intake along with antioxidants may prevent hearing loss due to noise exposure and even genetics. At the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Center, two studies focused on just this. A drug cocktail of Vitamins A, C, and E mixed with magnesium, slowed down hereditary deafness in mice with a specific genetic mutation (connexin 26 gene deletion) that is known to cause genetic hearing loss in humans. A very similar cocktail was given to guinea pigs prior to noise exposure and they found the combination of the four micronutrients blocked about 80 percent of the noise-induced hearing impairment. This has since been brought to human trials on military bases in Spain and Sweden. Specifically given to a military population because statistics show that one-third of returning soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq cannot be redeployed specifically because of hearing impairment, likely caused by noise exposure. These studies are still ongoing in human populations.
As for right now, Audiologists, researchers, and other medical professionals suggest eating a well-balanced diet with Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants specifically in mind to keep your hearing and overall health in good standing.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important for normal vision, immune system, proper organ function and reproduction. There is a lot of research showing a link between lack of Vitamin A and hearing loss, and a correlation between high levels of Vitamin A and better hearing.
Foods: Beef liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, apricots, broccoli, butter, eggs and squash.
Click here for a list of correlation.
Vitamin B-12 keeps the nerve and blood cells healthy, and also assist in making DNA. B-12 deficient people are more at risk for tinnitus (ringing in the ears), noise-induced hearing loss, and possibly presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) especially combined with low folate levels.
Foods: meat, poultry, dairy. Beef liver, salmon, sardines and clams are specifically high in B12. Animal products are the only source to get B12 naturally. If you are vegetarian/vegan, try a supplement.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in most fruits and vegetables. It is helpful in providing a strong immune system, fighting off infections (like those of the middle ear) and preventing damage to the hair cells within the cochlea (inner ear).
Foods: oranges, strawberries, pineapple, mango, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, kiwi, and broccoli.
Vitamin D is primarily responsible for bone health. A vitamin D deficiency can cause osteopenia (bone loss) and otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth/calcification) in the bones of the middle ear, which can lead to hearing loss and deafness.
Foods: fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon, dairy products, fortified foods, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.
Vitamin E has antioxidant properties and improves circulation. This is said to be beneficial for the hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea). Also- your entire body!
Foods: Almonds, spinach, sweet potato, avocado, wheat germ, sunflower seeds
Magnesium regulates muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. It also makes protein, bone and DNA. Magnesium also regulates glutamate, which is a neurotransmitter produced in the inner ear/hair cells. Those who are magnesium are more likely to develop tinnitus.
Foods: Dark chocolate, nuts, avocados, tofu, seeds, whole grains and some fatty fish.
Potassium is an electrolyte that conducts electricity in the body in conjunction with sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. Potassium is one of the fluids present in the inner ear. Regulating this electrolyte can help keep potassium levels high in the inner ear, which tends to drop off with age. This is one of the leading causes in presbycusis (Age related hearing loss)
Foods: potatoes, spinach, lima beans, tomatoes, raisins, apricots, bananas, melons, oranges, yogurt and low-fat milk.
- Sources:
- Bill Sardithe Vitamin Supplement Answer Man.” Knowledge of Health RSS, knowledgeofhealth.com/lack-of-vitamin-a-may-be-overlooked-root-of-tinnitus-and-hearing-loss/.
- “Can Vitamins and Minerals Prevent Hearing Loss?” Can Vitamins and Minerals Prevent Hearing Loss? | Michigan Medicine, 10 Nov. 2008, www.uofmhealth.org/news/824vitamins-and-minerals-prevent-hearing-loss.
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- Windsor, Amie. “Foods That Boost Hearing Health: The Power of Vitamins.” Healthy Hearing, 14 Mar. 2016,
www.healthyhearing.com/report/51182-Foods-that-boost-hearing-health-the-power-of-vitamins.
Walter Jacobson interview Dr. Ronna Fisher, founder of the Hearing Health Centers in Chicago and the Fisher Foundation for Hearing on hearing loss and cancer treatment. Visit www.fisherfoundationforhearing.org to learn more.
February is American Heart Month. The American Heart Association reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, with nearly 787,000 deaths in the United States linked to heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in 2011 or 1 in 3 people. For women, cardiovascular disease ranks as the number 1 killer, resulting in more deaths than all forms of cancer. These statistics alone push cardiovascular disease to the top of the list for America’s most serious health issue.
Cardiovascular disease presents a variety of different complications including high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart attack. Recently a growing body of research is also linking hearing loss and heart disease. A study conducted by Harvard University cited a staggering relation between heart disease and hearing loss finding “hearing loss occurred 54% more often in people with heart disease then in the general population.” Hearing loss is one of the most common physical ailments for the general public, third only to heart disease and arthritis respectively.
So what is the heart-hearing link? Cardiovascular disease is a disease of the heart and blood vessels. Many of the problems surrounding heart disease are a direct result of a condition called atherosclerosis in which plaque builds up on the arteries, narrowing the arterial path, making it harder for blood to flow through the veins, arteries and ultimately bodily organs. The inner ear is extremely sensitive to blood flow. If blood flow is inadequate, interrupted or the vessels suffer a trauma, the result can be damage to the inner ear nerves, negatively impacting a person’s ability to hear. In fact, the nerves in the inner ear as so fragile that Harvard researches believe they may be the first organ affected by cardiovascular disease. In essence, hearing loss may be one of the earliest indicators of heart disease.
A leading researcher in the area of the heart-hearing link is David R. Friedland, MD, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He has been studying the relationship for years and says “The inner ear is so sensitive to blood flow that it is possible that abnormalities in the cardiovascular system could be noted here earlier than in other less sensitive parts of the body.”
Subsequently, a healthy cardiovascular system can have a positive impact on hearing. It’s important to adopt a lifestyle that supports both a healthy heart and healthy hearing. The American Heart Association suggest the following to a healthier life: get active, reduce stress, eat healthy, lose weight, quit smoking, get adequate sleep, watch your cholesterol, manage blood pressure, and reduce your blood sugar and risk for diabetes. Also, incorporate hearing checks into your routine medical exams.
Cardiovascular disease is the cause of more deaths than cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and accidents combined. It is not only the leading cause of death in America, but globally accounts for 17.3 million per year with the American Heart Association estimating that number to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. A healthy heart and hearing are not only beneficial to one’s physical well-being but are also beneficial to a positive outcome and an optimum quality of life.
The following article appeared on betterhearing.org on October 11, 2013. Read on to get more information on how hearing loss and dementia are related.
Dementia-Hearing Loss Link Warrants Routine Hearing Checks, BHI Stresses for National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Washington, DC, October 10, 2013 – As research showing a link between hearing loss and cognitive function mounts, the Better Hearing Institute is urging people to pay close attention to their hearing and take a confidential online hearing check at www.hearingcheck.org in recognition of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November. BHI is raising awareness of the relationship between hearing loss and dementia, and is underscoring the importance of addressing hearing loss for the benefit of overall cognitive function. Today, nearly 40 million people in the United States have some degree of hearing loss.
While the causality requires further investigation, the increasingly evident link between hearing loss and dementia elevates the urgency of diagnosing and treating hearing loss as soon as possible.
A study published earlier this year found that hearing loss is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older adults. Conducted by Johns Hopkins otologist and epidemiologist Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D. and other hearing experts, the study found that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than older adults whose hearing is normal. According to a Johns Hopkins press release, volunteers with hearing loss, undergoing repeated cognition tests over six years, had cognitive abilities that declined some 30 to 40 percent faster than in those whose hearing was normal. The researchers also found that the greater the hearing loss, the greater the levels of declining brain function.
In a 2011 study, Lin found that seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. The study also found that the more hearing loss they had, the higher their likelihood of developing dementia.
Exploring the hearing loss-cognition connection
Other studies have shown related findings, including several involving Brandeis University Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Arthur Wingfield. For many years, Wingfield has been studying cognitive aging and the relationship between memory and hearing acuity.
Wingfield and his co-investigators have found that older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss performed poorer on cognitive tests than those of the same age who had good hearing. These findings have included a significant interaction between hearing acuity and the level of difficulty listeners experience in cognitively processing linguistic information–which is a higher-level brain activity than simply interpreting the sound.
These findings, Wingfield says, suggest that the listener’s hearing ability not only affects their sensory processing of auditory information, but that it also affects higher level linguistic processing.
The study participants with hearing loss expended so much cognitive effort on trying to hear accurately, Wingfield concluded, that it diminished their ability to comprehend rapid speech and remember what had been heard.
More recently, Wingfield, along with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis, used MRI to look at the effect that hearing loss has on both brain activity and structure.
Their study found that people with poorer hearing had less gray matter in the auditory cortex, a region of the brain that is necessary to support speech comprehension. Wingfield believes that the participants’ hearing loss had a causal role. He and his co-investigators hypothesize that when the sensory stimulation is reduced due to hearing loss, corresponding areas of the brain reorganize their activity as a result.
“The sharpness of an individual’s hearing has cascading consequences for various aspects of cognitive function,” said Wingfield. “We are only just beginning to understand how far-reaching these consequences are.”
“Even if you have just a mild hearing loss that is not being treated, you have to put in so much effort just to perceive and understand what is being said that you divert resources away from what you would ordinarily use to store what you have heard in your memory,” Wingfield continued. “Cognitive load increases significantly.”
As people move through middle age and their later years, Wingfield suggested, it is reasonable for them to get their hearing tested annually. If there is a hearing loss, it is best to take it seriously and treat it.
For more information on Alzheimer’s disease and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.
Hearing aids can benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease and hearing loss–and their caregivers
BHI reminds people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers that hearing health is an important factor in their quality of life. The ability to communicate with the help of hearing aids can help enhance quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
BHI advocates that hearing checks, hearing healthcare, and hearing aids when appropriate be included in the regimen of care for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Identification and remediation of hearing loss prior to the evaluation of dementia also can help ensure a more accurate medical evaluation. BHI advocates that a comprehensive hearing examination and hearing healthcare be part of the diagnostic process.
For information about the 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s, visit www.alz.org/10signs.
Click here to read the full article at betterhearing.org!
Hearing well not only effects your everyday life, it can effect your long-term brain health! Many studies have shown a significant link between hearing loss and dementia, which leads into Alzheimer’s. These long term studies suggest four ways this link is seen to affect patients.
1. Processing auditory information from the inner ear, like speech, uses a significant portion of the brain. Sound travels through your ear to nerves that send signals to the primary auditory cortex of the brain, which is in the temporal lobe. The sounds are then put together and processed in an area called the Wernicke’s area, which is in the parietal lobe.(8) The Wernicke’s area is in charge of putting the auditory information you received from your ears into speech understanding.(7) But, if the brain cannot hear that information due to hearing loss, then brain activity lessens. This causes a reduction in gray matter of the brain over time, in other words, your brain shrinks! The areas of the brain that are primary for speech understanding, such as the Wernicke’s area, are very close to where Alzheimer’s disease is first seen on brain scans. Patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s can receive appropriate hearing testing and treatment of hearing loss, in turn, reducing their cognitive decline. Therefore, it is imperative that those being diagnosed with dementia have hearing testing to determine if hearing loss is a contributing factor to the patient’s dementia.(7)
2. The symptoms of dementia and Alzheimers can mimick hearing loss. (9) Answering questions wrong, not remembering what was said, depression, and anxiety can all be attributed to dementia as well as hearing loss! Misunderstanding of words or lack of participation in conversations can be a sign of hearing loss or dementia. A simple hearing test can determine which it is!
3. Social isolation is a well known risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s, as well as depression.(7,8,9) When someone is hard of hearing, they are less likely to engage in social activities and conversations because it takes a lot of effort in these situations to overcome the hearing loss and participate normally. Simply conversing with one person exercises the brain and reduces negative feelings such as depression. The National Council of Aging published a study surveying 2,300 hearing impaired adults and their family and friends. It found that untreated hearing loss was linked to depression, anxiety and social isolation. Those who corrected their hearing in this study found significant improvements in every dimension of their lives!
4. There is a strong correlation between the degree of hearing loss and severity of cognitive decline.8 The University of Washington found that when testing patients with Alzheimer’s, the more hearing loss they had correlated to the severity of cognitive decline.
Therefore, it is critical for patients exhibiting any signs or symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s to get an audiological examination to rule out hearing loss. Call us to schedule your complimentary hearing screening today!
QUICK FACTS
- 94% correlation between hearing loss and dementia. (1)
- 83% of patients diagnosed with dementia also have hearing loss. The symptoms are the same:
Depression – Withdrawal
Negativity – Impaired memory
Frustration – Anger
Irritability – Decreased alertness
- A mild hearing loss doubles the risk of dementia.
- A moderate hearing loss increases the risk of dementia five-fold. (2)
- Damage to the nerve cells that mediate hearing also affects the nerve cells involved in memory and higher cognition. (3)
- Mild hearing loss is linked to brain atrophy. Those with hearing loss have less gray matter and decreased brain activity in their auditory cortex. (4)
- Stimulation of the neural pathways of the brain is essential for memory.
- Under-stimulation of the cognitive system leads to irreversible changes in cognitive functioning.
- Early treatment is essential in restoring cognitive function for speech perception. (5)
WHEN TREATED WITH HEARING AIDS
- 33% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s were reclassified to a less severe category
- Improvement in memory of patients with dementia (6)
- Hearing aids can boost cognitive function 50% within a year
- 100% of caregivers said behavior improved, more social, less depressed, better attitude and, in all cases, their relationship improved.
[1] University of Florida study
[2] Frank Lin, MD, PhD; Jeffrey Metter, MD, Richard O’Brien, MD. Arch Neurol. 2011; (68); 214-220. Doi; 10.1001
[3] Dr. Richard Lipton, Neurology Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
[4] Jonathan Peele, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine. University of Pennsylvania
[5] Young Choi, MD, Hyun Shim, MD. Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngeolgy Vol 4, No. 2 72-76, June 2011
[6] Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 4, No. 2: 72-76, June 2011
7 http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-07-2013/hearing-loss
8 http://understandinghearing.com/hearing_loss/hearing_and_alheimer_s.htm
9 http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/articles/Hearing-loss/Causes