Adults With Hearing Loss Have Memory Problems

Alex

Alex

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Who would have thought? In a research study done by hearing experts at Johns Hopkins are saying that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than those with normal hearing.

Over the course of six years, volunteers with hearing loss underwent repeated cognitive tests, and they showed a cognitive decline of 30 to 40 percent faster than those with normal hearing. In addition, cognitive abilities were impaired 3.2 years sooner than those whose hearing was normal.

One possible reason is that hearing loss forces the brain to spend most of its energy on processing sound.

“Our results show that hearing loss should not be considered an inconsequential part of aging, because it may come with some serious long-term consequences to healthy brain functioning,” says Dr. Frank Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

What about those who wear hearing aids? Will hearing devices help prevent or delay cognitive decline? That’s another study that is under way by Dr. Lin and his team.

There are about 27 million Americans over the age of 50 suffer some type of hearing loss.

Readers: What is your take on this?
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Adults With Hearing Loss Have Memory Problems | Hearing Aid Blog
 
It is interesting to think over. Herein lies the problem: the size of the study group, the actual cause of their hearing loss, what they are doing in their lives, and the kind of questions they asked to reach their conclusion. Also old are they and what their other health problems may be.

I myself see my coginitive function decline because of not pushing myself. If I have an active social life and work life I do have a lot of hearing exhaustion as well but then I have to rest a little more too. The thinking part of the brain is like a muscle in a way, it needs to be used, it also needs to be rested.
If the study group is small one or two people can skew the group result. I am suspicious of studies that do not go into detail as the true age demographics and even gender. Menopause itself can cause some forgetfulness. So can Womenopause if that is happening- they tend to keep us on our toes somehow.
Then there is effect of medications. Many people are on an aspirin regimen. No one says to them while it may be heart healthy it is not hear healthy. Aspirin causes a quantifiable amount of hearing loss. That is just mild old aspirin.
I say this study may have merit or it may not. They need my input... smiles.
 
I think, like everything we read, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt....

Laura
 
I do not believe this at all. When I was a health aide I had a lot of clients with memory lost and they had no problem hearing. And I had clients that where HOH and their memory was fine.
 
My memory has been slipping. I thought it was due to getting older but it was my deafness!!!!! Lol
 
Seriously though, it wouldn't surprise me. I would imagine tinnitus would have a major impact too. I know tinnitus affects me somewhat when doing difficult math.
 
TXgolfer said:
Seriously though, it wouldn't surprise me. I would imagine tinnitus would have a major impact too. I know tinnitus affects me somewhat when doing difficult math.
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I had never experienced it u til last summer when I was exposed to loud Zumba music unaided. Now I get it on a regular basis. Strange. I should try doing complex problems when I have it and see what my memory does. :hmm:
 
shel90 said:
I had never experienced it u til last summer when I was exposed to loud Zumba music unaided. Now I get it on a regular basis. Strange. I should try doing complex problems when I have it and see what my memory does. :hmm:
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With the math it is more of a concentration issue. Which makes sense since concentration on a difficult problem usually raises stress and blood pressure which in turn elevates the tinnitus in many people. It's like a vicious cycle.

It's like trying to read while someone is blowing a horn
 
TXgolfer said:
Seriously though, it wouldn't surprise me. I would imagine tinnitus would have a major impact too. I know tinnitus affects me somewhat when doing difficult math.
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i'd believe that too, but i dont think 'its deafness' its the pressure of the hearing world, the unconscious ignorance on our efforts, endurance, and they make no accommodation, also the pressure of having to understand perfect written 'hearing English' are numerous also, like think of this, maths is written in 'English' but its also 'mathematics language' hidden in 'codes of English" and then again in higher levels of mathematics in universities, or even high school Deaf struggles with it, its not the numbers, its the ENGLISH!!!, that hearing TOH and such completely fucking ignore it!, grr, .

now tinnitus is definitely a bad thing too...and well also I think its also...

depression if not grade/weight of heave or blues that's equates as 'clinical depression', but like the lifetime of being in low-paid jobs, or lifelong isolation (look at the Authetic's videos posts in that thread, particular the university guy, whos got shit job as a porter(ok so what if its a 'Ritzy hotel') thing is this sort of thing is VERY common.. and the way he describes his isolation arent unique ( i have it the same way, but i dont work dont have time im post-grad!)...
thing is that , i believe the real cause of depression-induced-memory-loss-confused-with-decline-of-interest-in-life-or just worn-out sydrome (my italics) isolation is 'coped' with the 'still-alive-hopes-of-making-great-freinds-with-hearies-or-experience-the-same-feel-normal-have-money-coming-in-and control-of-retirement-sense-of security' isnt there, so...
id say psychologists are ought to fuck off, stop assuming, and stop reducing to an over-simplified-easy-to-blame-medical-deafness hypothetical bullshit...

its time to see it from the 'CULTURAL side' where the psychologist IS real, but its got nothing to do with what THEY (stoopid hearing doctors/scientists), to me, it's all part of the ploy to make cultural deafness not worth considering, its stinks. It's what from I've noticed alot of those 'reverse studies' cropping up in news, as 'interesting' but when you really think about it, its really maintains THEIR interests (not ours) the interests of those in power, the interests of those who wants tosecure the future of CIs and such...

think about it!...to me its pretty obvious...

oh and for every new bullshit in the news , if they want you to believe it, all they have to do is say 'research found..." that hooks your attention, why?
because society got taught science is superior, and then when you think about it, science, who funds it?, what they want to do with it? that's when you start to realise something is not quite as 'neutal' or 'caring' as science would have to to be inclined to a certain values, and those certain values are more often than not, are inclined to the dominant ideology, ie. 'the public perception', the all agreed on upon 'attitudes' and blah blah and fucking blah blah...
 
Elsewhere, I recently read that short term memory is tied to the auditory loop/
 
Wirelessly posted

So that's what's wrong with me!! Now, where was I??
 
Bottesini said:
Elsewhere, I recently read that short term memory is tied to the auditory loop/
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that's the hearie's brain, deaf brains is tied to the optical loop...
just ask Oliver Sacks...he's a Neurologist ...and wrote the book Seeing Voices
 
I don't know how much memory or math skills are connected to hearing but I know my dyscalculia and other learning disabilities are directly related to German Measles. On another note, what of the people of the clergy that take a vow of silence, why does the study not address that? Sure there is some obvious noise: prayers namely, bustling through rooms, cleaning, birds, possible traffic, etc., but not much else....they've done fine for centuries.....I don't buy that you need hearing to have a sound mind as you age. You need to be engaged in life and maintain a good healthy diet and lifestyle.

Laura
 
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