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A study carried out by the University of Exeter and King’s College London has shown that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who do not.

The study of over 4000 people with hearing loss, taken from the PROTECT online study of 25,000 people aged 50 or over, builds on research in recent years from the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, in which hearing loss emerged as an important risk factor for dementia, suggesting that wearing a hearing aid may reduce that risk.

The subjects were separated into two groups of those who wore hearing aids and those that did not. Over the course of two years both groups undertook annual cognitive test. The results of the tests showed that those who wore hearing aids performed better in measures assessing working memory and aspects of attention than those who did not. They also showed faster reaction times. In everyday situations this is a reflection of concentration, such as ‘straining to hear a sound’, ‘peering closely at an object of great interest’ or ‘listening intently to someone speaking’.

In Britain, nearly seven million people could benefit from hearing aids, and only about two million use them. There are also about 850,000 people in the UK thought to be living with dementia, of whom about 300,000 are yet to receive a diagnosis.

PROTECT lead Dr Anne Corbett, from the University of Exeter, said: “Previous research has shown that hearing loss is linked to a loss of brain function, memory and an increased risk of dementia. Our work is one of the largest studies to look at the impact of wearing a hearing aid, and suggests that wearing a hearing aid could actually protect the brain. We now need more research and a clinical trial to test this and perhaps feed into policy to help keep people healthy in later life.”

The results will be presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in LA. 

Dr Martin Coath, who researches auditory neuroscience at Plymouth University, who was not involved in the study, said, “Hearing loss is a type of social isolation as it can make following conversations in a noisy room a struggle.” He also added, “Those with hearing issues who choose to use high-quality hearing aids are likely to continue to enjoy social experiences whereas those who do not use a hearing aid may experience fewer social and sensory interactions as they are more challenging. Therefore, one possible reason why this early stage study sees a link between hearing aid use and better brain function is that those using a hearing aid are staying engaged and actively interested in all manner of sensory and social experiences.”

Professor Clive Ballard, dementia expert at the University of Exeter, said: “We know that we could reduce dementia risk by a third if we all took action from mid life. This research is part of an essential body of work to find out what really works to keep our brains healthy. This is an early finding and needs more investigation, yet it has exciting potential.”

“The message here is that if you’re advised you need a hearing aid, find one that works for you,” Professor Ballard said. “At the very least it will improve your hearing and it could help keep your brain sharp too.”

Sources:
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_725112_en.html
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-a-conference-poster-on-hearing-aids-and-dementia-risk/