ASHA Voices: Research Sheds Light on the Hearing Loss-Cognition Link

On the latest podcast episode, two presenters from the Research Symposium on Hearing discuss how hearing loss connects to dementia and depression.  The symposium is part of the 2021 ASHA Convention.

First, Columbia University psychiatrist and researcher Bret Rutherford says depression is one of the main drivers of disability in older adults. He links the neuropsychiatric condition to cognitive decline and dementia and explains what role hearing health might play in preventative care.

“About 40% of dementia cases, we believe, result from so-called modifiable risk factors—things like diet, physical activity levels, and, prominently, hearing,” says Rutherford, also of the the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Today’s guests were selected to participate in the 2021 Research Symposium on Hearing by audiologist Nick Reed.

Hear Reed discuss audiology and public health in the podcast archive:

• ASHA Voices: OTCs on the Horizon
• ASHA Voices: Audiologist Nick Reed Talks Unaddressed Hearing Loss and Health Care Outcomes

Then, Johns Hopkins associate professor of medicine Esther Oh describes ways hearing loss can compound neuropsychiatric symptoms, like agitation and apathy. Oh, who co-directs the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, says addressing a patient’s hearing loss could help manage cognitive dysfunction.

She also discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially isolating for older populations. She shares the story of one patient’s positive health outcome that she attributes to an intern’s creative use of technology to facilitate his communication.

“I said he's got a poor prognosis based on what I had known from so many years of practice,” Oh said. “But this intern ... figured out a way to really connect him to the outside world.”

Interested in learning more about audiology and public health? Explore the 2015 Research Symposium in CSD presented by Frank Lin.

Read the transcript.

Meet our guests:

• Esther Oh, MD, PhD, co-director, Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center/associate professor of medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Bret Rutherford, MD, professor, Columbia University; co-director, Research Area on Brain Aging and Mental Health, New York State Psychiatric Institute

To hear each episode as soon as it's released, follow the Podcast page on the Leader website or subscribe to the program with Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]. Or leave us a voicemail at 301-296-5804. We may include your comment in an upcoming episode.