Hearing Loss and Dementia

The Effect of Sound on the Brain

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To interpret sounds correctly, the information our brain receives must be as accurate and as detailed as possible. If it’s noisy, when there are many people talking at once, when we are learning new things, or when we’re tired, we must pay closer attention to hear and understand. Challenging situations and hearing difficulties interfere with this process.

 

Of all the sounds we hear, speech is probably the most important to us. There are many different components of speech we interpret to derive meaning, from intonations of pitch, to differing levels of volume.

 

For most, listening to these and registering them is an automatic process. However, sometimes we need to focus and really strain to be able to hear. Demanding situations such as noisy rooms and hearing loss increases the demands on our brain. An entire day of this can be exhausting and demoralising.   Hearing also helps to stay socially active, allowing us to communicate and build relationships.

 

Without this wonderful ability, we can become isolated – a known risk factor for dementia. Hearing loss can also exacerbate pre-existing symptoms of those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.