In this project, Dr Piers Dawes at the University of Manchester investigates the relationship between dementia and hearing loss, to find whether tackling one can prevent the other.
Project start date: April 2019
Project end date: December 2023
Read about the project outcomes here.
About the project
Research shows that people with age-related hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia than people without. However, these studies do not tell us why that is.
There are several possible explanations for the link. Hearing loss could be a direct cause of dementia, or both hearing loss and dementia could be caused by another as yet unknown factor. We need to understand the link between them, and whether treating hearing loss can help to prevent dementia.
How it works
The researchers will test whether hearing loss causes dementia, either directly or indirectly. For example, hearing loss may lead to social isolation, which may then increase the risk of dementia. They will also assess whether wearing hearing aids can reduce that risk.
They will use several large databases containing hearing and cognitive data from thousands of people around the world. They will study the effect of changes in brain structure, general health, social engagement, and other factors on hearing and dementia.
How will this research benefit people at risk of hearing loss or dementia?
This research will lead to a better understanding of the link between hearing loss and dementia. It’ll also show whether identifying and addressing hearing problems can reduce the risk of dementia in later life. This could make a huge difference to many millions of people in the future.
What we’ve learned so far
The researchers looked at hearing and cognitive health in very large groups of people and found that hearing impairment impacts on cognitive health in several ways:
- Hearing loss leads to reduced social engagement and makes people feel more depressed. Reduced social stimulation and depression then affects people’s cognitive health.
- Hearing loss also makes people less physically active. Reduced physical activity then leads to reduced cognitive health.
- There are also common health factors (for example, blood pressure, inflammation) that affect both hearing and cognitive health.
Optimising hearing and healthy lifestyle changes including non-smoking, healthy diet and exercise may offer an opportunity to reduce the risk of hearing loss, promote healthy cognition and reduce risk of dementia in later life.
About the researcher
Dr Piers Dawes is Professor at the University of Queensland and Lecturer in the Audiology and Deafness Research Group at the University of Manchester. He was awarded an RNID Discovery Project Grant for this project in 2019, which was co-funded in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK.