Could Hearing Loss Predict Alzheimer's Disease? Study

Though the brain naturally becomes smaller with age, a recent study reveals that brain tissue loss related to hearing may be a signal of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

According to data from the ongoing Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging that started in 1958 by the National Institute on Aging to monitor various health factors in thousands of men and women, researchers found that hearing loss could be linked to the health issue.

Lead study author Frank Lin examined 126 participants who underwent yearly MRI scans for up to 10 years. Researchers found that at the beginning of the study, 75 had normal hearing while 51 had impaired hearing at a 25-decibel loss.

When comparing scans of participants, Lin found that participants whose hearing was already impaired at the start of the study showed faster rates of brain shrinkage to those compared with normal hearing.

Findings also showed that those with impaired hearing lost more than an additional cubic centimeter of brain tissue every year compared to those with normal hearing. However, participants with impaired hearing also had significantly more shrinkage in regions of the brain including the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri that are also responsible for sound and speech.

At the end of the study, researchers are not surprised about the shrinkage in brain structure-particularly those involving sound and speech. However other areas involving memory, including the middle and inferior temporal gyri, prove worrying due to structures that play an important role in memory and sensory integration.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Neuroimage.