{"id":1300,"date":"2022-03-25T15:33:30","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T20:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hearinghealthcenters.net\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2022-03-25T15:33:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T20:33:30","slug":"study-finds-unexpected-brain-shrinkage-in-patients-with-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nelsonhearing.com\/study-finds-unexpected-brain-shrinkage-in-patients-with-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Finds Unexpected Brain Shrinkage in Patients with Hearing Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"
Previous research has shown a link between hearing loss and an increased risk of dementia<\/a>. A new study may offer additional insight into the structural brain changes hearing loss may cause.<\/p>\n The study from researchers at The Carle Illinois College of Medicine analyzed data from the Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. Alzheimer\u2019s Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia.<\/p>\n They compared MRIs of people with AD and hearing loss to those with AD and normal hearing. They found a higher incidence of shrinkage in the brainstem and cerebellum<\/a> in patients with both hearing loss and AD.<\/p>\n Researchers who led the study admitted to being surprised by the findings. They had expected to find changes in the frontal lobe, as that is where the brain processes language and sound.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a surprising finding but one that relates to newer studies that link Alzheimer\u2019s Disease with dysfunction in auditory function<\/a> which requires cerebellar activation,\u201d said Susie Kwok, medical student and collaborator on the study.<\/p>\n Hopefully, these findings can lead to earlier detection methods and treatments for those with dementia and hearing loss.<\/p>\n Untreated hearing loss can put extra stress on the brain. Because you don\u2019t pick up sounds as well as you used to your brain is essentially forced to put in extra work just to follow conversations at work or in social settings.<\/p>\n This mental fatigue causes some people with hearing loss to isolate themselves from other people. However, when you do that, you deprive your brain of the stimulation it gets when you interact with others at church or\u00a0 The Ranch Restaurant.<\/a><\/p>\nBrain Changes in People with Alzheimer\u2019s and Hearing Loss
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How Hearing Loss Affects Cognition<\/h2>\n
Can Hearing Aids Protect Your Brain?<\/h2>\n