Dr. Dan Troast Explains the Link Between Hearing Loss and Dementia

Name: Dr. Dan Troast Explains the Link Between Hearing Loss and Dementia
Uploaded: 2023-10-28T12:00:15+00:00
Duration: 49 s
Channel: Claudia von Boeselager
Description: In this segment, Dr. Dan Troast describes the cascade of effects that arise from untreated hearing loss. He explains that lacking auditory input leads…

28 Oct 2023 · 1 min

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In this segment, Dr. Dan Troast describes the cascade of effects that arise from untreated hearing loss. He explains that lacking auditory input leads individuals to withdraw socially because communication becomes harder, and the brain receives less stimulation, which diminishes its ability to process sound. This reduced neural engagement can also limit the effectiveness of hearing aids, as the brain is less prepared to interpret amplified signals. Crucially, he emphasizes that even mild, untreated hearing loss significantly raises the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, linking auditory deprivation directly to brain health deterioration.

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You have a phrase you use often, if you don't use it, you lose it.
If we have untreated hearing loss, several things start to happen. You will isolate yourself a little bit more because communicating with others in social situations becomes more difficult. Your brain is designed to get this input and it's not getting that stimulation that it needs. So if your brain is not getting that stimulation, it's not going to work the same way that it did before. So if you don't use your brain properly, you're going to lose the ability to process that sound. So maybe you do end up getting hearing aids, but now your brain works a little bit differently, so you don't have the same same amount of brain power to process that incoming signal. So that's going to change how well you can function with hearing aids. But also, if you're not using your brain, you are at much greater risk of dementia, cognitive decline, if you have untreated hearing loss. Even mild untreated hearing loss is going to put you at risk of cognitive decline.