In a recent video, I explore the fascinating connection between our sense of hearing, brain health, and the potential risk of developing dementia. As our understanding of the human body’s intricacies continues to grow, this insight sheds light on the importance of preserving not just our physical health, but also our cognitive well-being.
The study data establish a significant link between hearing loss and dementia. These groundbreaking findings have piqued the interest of medical researchers and professionals alike. The research underscores the idea that hearing health extends far beyond the ears, with implications that reach deep into the realms of brain function and cognitive longevity.
Varying degrees of hearing loss bear associated risks of dementia and the risk isn’t limited to extreme cases of hearing impairment; rather, even mild and moderate hearing loss has been associated with an increased likelihood of developing dementia. This revelation serves as a wake-up call, urging us to pay heed to our auditory health, regardless of the severity of our hearing challenges.
The intricate relationship between our ears and our brain is a subject that demands our attention. Hearing loss can potentially lead to cognitive decline due to the brain’s reorganisation in response to reduced auditory input. This reorganisation, while an adaptive mechanism, may inadvertently contribute to the development of dementia over time.
All of this highlights the need for proactive measures in maintaining our auditory health. As the research in this field continues to unfold, it is clear that our ears play a vital role in preserving the vitality of our minds.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Many issues were discussed in the lead up to the recent federal election here in Australia, but one that barely got a mention was the prevention of the chronic diseases that are associated with aging. We’re all impacted by chronic disease to some degree, yet the lack of attention on this topic would suggest that it’s not commonly at top of mind.A recent study published in Nature Aging titled ‘The Economic Impact of Targeting Aging,’ showed that a slowdown in aging that increased life expectancy by 1 year would be worth US$38 trillion to the USA economy in a single year. This estimate factors in productivity and quality of life factors, as well as savings in healthcare.*This figure, in proportion to Australia’s population, would equate to roughly US$3 trillion without factoring in exchange rates, differing healthcare costs, pensions etc. Even a conservative estimate of AU$1 trillion would yield an economic benefit more than 10 times greater than volume of the JobKeeper initiative that cost $89 billion over 12 months.The projections published in Nature Aging assume that aging can be treated and that such treatment had been universally adopted. Estimates vary, but most predictions I’ve seen relating to the effective medical treatment of aging are around 13-15 years away, and I question whether it could or would be taken by all. In my view, such studies help call into question the inevitability of age-related decline and inspire insights into what may be done about it on a personal level.
What you don’t know can hurt you
I’m optimistic about what is in the pipeline, and aim to avoid succumbing to something preventable in the meantime. I recently undertook a highly comprehensive health assessment at HealthScreen in Melbourne. Their program is oriented toward early detection of chronic disease utilising MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and bloodwork. It’s the most thorough preventative health assessment I could find in the country. There’s screening for 20 different types of cancers, but the core focus is on cardiovascular health. I was pleased (and surprised!) to have been given all clear and a solid set of baselines for future comparison. I can recommend it – though I should mention there wasn’t much change out of three thousand dollars for the full assessment. In researching which health assessment to take, a less involved option would be a cardiovascular risk assessment which is recommended every 4-6 years for low-risk people.
The way forward
From my research, optimising our lifestyle choices over the long term is our best bet in terms of preventing chronic disease . Thinking specifically about dementia, a major report on dementia prevention published in the Lancet Journal indicated that up to 40 percent of cases could be prevented through lifestyle modification, with addressing hearing loss as the most potent intervention.**
Maintaining your hearing aids
On the topic of ‘self–care,’ we’ve developed a range of troubleshooting videos to help you address the most common maintenance issues with our most commonly prescribed devices. Most are simple, quick fixes to save you the need to schedule, travel to and attend an appointment. We hope you find them useful! You can access them via the following link:
Click here to access the videos
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text text_lead=”small” uncode_shortcode_id=”137375″]*Scott, A.J., Ellison, M. & Sinclair, D.A. The economic value of targeting aging. Nat Aging 1, 2020 616:623**Livingston G, Huntley J, Sommerlad A, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet. 2020 Aug 8;396[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
When you get your hearing tested and discover that you’ve lost much of your upper register, the thing you might not want to hear is the cost of the hearing aids. Although many are surprised at what the most advanced hearing devices can cost, the financial, physical and emotional costs of struggling through life without them is likely to far exceed the initial outlay.
In a cost benefit analysis, Professor Robert Brent at Fordham University in New York found that the benefits of being fitted with hearing aids were exceptionally large relative to the costs. The benefit-cost ratio was over 30, which is to suggest that for every dollar spent treating hearing loss he found evidence for a more than thirty-dollar return. Factored into Professor Brent’s analysis was the impact of untreated hearing loss on cognitive decline and the associated costs.
Looking more specifically at the cost of untreated hearing loss, a recent study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that older adults with untreated hearing loss incur substantially higher total healthcare costs compared to those who don’t have hearing loss – an increase of around 46%. They calculated that it amounts to around $22,434 USD per person over a decade.
Off-kilter
If you suffer with significant hearing loss, you have an increased risk of falls, mishaps and accidents. Studies show that even mild hearing loss when left untreated results in a 300 percent increased risk of falls for people between 40–69 years old. When you cannot hear properly, your environmental awareness is compromised, so you’re less likely to hear that bike or scooter whizzing past when you’re out walking.
As far back as 1999, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported that falls cost the Australian community $806 million a year in direct health system costs, which is more than double that of road traffic accidents. In addition, the rate of falls has increased annually and is the leading cause of injury deaths accounting for 37 percent of all deaths.
A study out of the University of Michigan analysing 115,000 healthy seniors who were newly diagnosed with hearing loss, found that 13 percent of them had been injured because of a fall within three years, compared to 7.5 percent of the general population their age.
To add insult to injury, the mental resources it takes to compensate for hearing loss leaves less capacity for the brain to attend to steadiness and balance. Impaired hearing places a strain on your brain, which means you have to concentrate harder to interpret sounds and speech. This takes cognitive resources away from the balance centres.
Out of harm’s way
With the stress and strain of trying to hear in all kinds of situations, is it any wonder that people give up and choose the less difficult path of a more isolated life? Many even cease seeking medical services because they are just too hard to manage. I’ve seen situations with my own patients where marriages have collapsed, and the frustrations they experience because they’re unable to communicate effectively with loved ones. Numerous studies over the past few decades have indicated untreated hearing loss significantly increases the risk of social isolation and loneliness.
Isolating from the world creates a downward spiral. Loneliness can have serious consequences. Recent research by the Centre for Disease Control indicates that loneliness can increase dementia risk by 50 percent and causes up to a 45 percent risk of premature death. There’s also a link between loneliness and coronary heart disease.
Wearing hearing devices all day may help avoid a hospital stay
If you were ever in any doubt, the research is certainly solid when it comes to making a case for wearing hearing aids. A study out of America investigating administrative claims from 1999 to 2016 examined more than 77,000 patients enrolled in private health plans. It demonstrated that among other things, patients with untreated hearing loss experienced about 50 percent more hospital stay and had about a 44 percent higher risk for hospital readmission within 30 days compared to those without hearing loss.
A subsequent study showed that untreated hearing loss is independently associated with significantly greater morbidity. For example, compared to those with “normal” hearing, those with untreated hearing loss had 3.2 times more dementia diagnoses, 3.6 x more falls and 6.9 x more depression diagnoses per 100 people over 10 a year period.
Take care of yourself
Daily, I observe that people are transformed by the simple application of a hearing aids, that are barely visible. When we have to work hard to decipher what someone is saying it puts a strain on the brain. It’s stressful and tiring. In addition, the more unclear words are, and the more listening effort is required to hear them, the less likely those words are going to be remembered.
Lipreading too requires a complex interaction between vision, hearing and short and long-term memory. It can be exhausting and taxing on our cognitive resources, and, as we well know, untreated hearing loss over the long-term is a contributing factor to heightened dementia risk and memory impairment.
Researchers at the London School of Economics, published in the International Journal of Audiology, estimated conservatively that the total global economic cost of untreated hearing loss is over $981 billion. A reduced quality of life contributed to 47 percent of the costs and 32 percent related to poor health outcomes related to hearing loss. This is why I’m passionate about educating and helping people to restore function and enhance brain and physical health.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
For the past 20 years, as my patients well know, I’ve been plugging away at delivering a clear message, that ignoring a hearing deficit is deleterious to your health and wellbeing. It can, and often does affect your cognitive health, indeed science shows us that hearing loss is the #1 modifiable risk for the prevention of dementia.
One in six Australians currently suffer from hearing loss. This number is expected to rise to one in four by 2050, largely due to our ageing population.
Around a billion people across the world have hearing loss. In Australia, only around one third of people who could benefit from the use of hearing aids actually use them. That amounts to a high burden on the brain and body as well as devastating impacts on relationships.
Normally I educate my audiences on these important matters in live seminars, however these are not always easy for people with full time commitments to attend. Perpetual lockdowns due to COVID, and the subsequent venue capacity & travel restrictions have added further challenges. So, I wondered, how I could get this vital message across to a global audience without them having to leave their living room.
Hence, my online Hearing & Brain Health Academy was borne to help counter this very serious issue that costs Australians an estimated $11.75 billion annually in lost productivity, not to mention the other devastating impacts.
The Academy, a fully-online course, consists of eight high quality videos where I focus on the far-reaching impacts of untreated hearing loss and how it can be addressed. It explores the effect on cognitive health, including the science and studies behind the statistics. Much of the research outlined here indicates that hearing loss may impact memory and other cognitive functions.
The videos also present information on how devastating hearing loss can be on relationships and that it can cause social isolation, which is a huge cost. Social isolation and loneliness can have an effect on your health that is as impactful as smoking or alcoholism. It is well known that people who maintain good relationships live happier and longer lives, whereas those who experience the effects of social isolation often die earlier. Not being able to hear well enough can cause people to significantly withdraw from life.
You’ll also learn that treating hearing loss is straightforward and can be life-changing, and you’ll discover what to expect from the experience. I provide advice, which will help you talk to your audiologist, about how a person needs to be eased into the new experience of hearing sounds that they’ve been missing out on.
The Hearing & Brain Health Academy is about dispelling the myths surrounding hearing loss, and revealing the benefits of early treatment – the longer it’s left untreated, the harder it is to restore. Then there’s the impact on loved ones, which can be just as devastating.
The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people will be living with some degree of hearing loss. I hope that the information contained in the Hearing & Brain Health Academy will give you a new perspective and lease on life. I developed this free content online to help reach as many people as I can and for it to be easy to follow and easily sharable. For complimentary and immediate access to the Hearing and Brain Health Academy please click on the link below:
Click here to access the Academy
If you know anyone that could benefit from the program, please click the buttons below to share via Facebook, or email your friends and family directly so they can receive free access.
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What I see so often in my clinics in Australia, is that people who actually wear their hearing aids the required 12-16 hours a day report feeling less cognitive fatigue than those who only wear them sporadically. That’s why I wrote my latest, soon to be published book called Between the Ears. There’s so much more that people need to know about the impacts of addressing their hearing in relation to brain health.
Between the Ears is the perfect companion to hearing aids because it outlines nine of the most impactful hearing and brain health interventions to protect and improve cognitive health, hearing, and general health and wellbeing.
The research shows us that there’s a high risk of developing cognitive issues as a result hearing loss, and statistics demonstrate that it’s one of the most neglected health conditions. Untreated hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia, and the strain of not being able to hear well can cause a person to lose some of their faculties. That’s why I’m passionate about getting people to attend to their hearing.
I didn’t expect I’d be on the brink of tears after reading a book about ears. There are many deep, powerful messages in this generous book that touch more than the ears and what’s between them. This is a book about being human and living your best life.
Dr. Adele Varcoe
A holistic approach to hearing and brain health
Taking a holistic approach to your health, no matter what the condition, should result in you achieving more profound results because we’re not, for instance, just a set of ears; all kinds of elements effect our hearing, including lifestyle, diet, environment, medications and illnesses. In Between the Ears you’ll learn how social isolation, which hearing loss can cause, can be deleterious to your health, and how finding meaning in life can help you flourish.
You’ll discover just how ‘plastic’ the brain is; it’s ability for neuroplasticity can create new neural pathways that restore cognitive function lost due to hearing loss. Wearing hearing aids full-time can start the restoration, which is further enhanced by activities such as online brain training, learning a language, playing music or meditation.
The range of scientifically backed advice and information on lifestyle factors in this book includes how to adopt a longevity mindset, dietary supplements and meditation.
Mission control
The brain is the control panel for our thoughts, learning, thinking and body, interpreting information and regulating vital functions such as heartbeat and breathing. The hearing centres of the brain occupy the same areas as much of our memory and cognitive functions, so just having the ears on either side of the head is not the only connection they have to what goes on in between. Maintaining brain and hearing health are symbiotic so we should attend to health and lifestyle factors to deal with everything that happens in and between the ears.
‘Between the Ears’ aligns with the growing acceptance and understanding within allied health professions that treatment is most effective when we utilise a multidisciplinary approach that moves away from a medical model and towards the recognition that our minds, bodies, behaviours and environment are all interconnected. Andrew has done an incredible job of collating all this information into an easy to read, informative publication.
Jillian Searle – Clinical Psychologist
Dealing with hearing and brain health is a no-brainer
Of course, being an audiologist means I specialise in helping people address their hearing problems, however, I cannot imagine not addressing brain health in relation to hearing issues. My goal in founding my company, NeuAudio Hearing and Brain Health, was to help my patients live a life without limitation; a life that flourishes. Sometimes we must remove the barriers to a flourishing life.
Lifting the barriers to communication
Hearing is of fundamental importance to our ability to communicate and foster quality relationships. Between the Ears highlights studies that demonstrate that quality relationships are the most important factor in determining human happiness. By contrast, the least happy people are those who are socially isolated; a situation that is twice as deadly as obesity. Without our hearing, we can become withdrawn from everything that we hold dear.
What nearly 20 years of working in the field has shown me is that as long as you wear your devices full-time and have them adjusted appropriately when needed, short of extremely rare cases, there’s every reason to suggest you’ll hear well for the rest of your life.
I hear you
In my line of work both as an adult rehabilitation specialist audiologist and public educator, I’m in a unique position to gain insights into the greatest concerns of my patients. As it turns out, most are generally more concerned about cognitive decline than they are about the nuisance of hearing loss. Patients frequently ask, what else they can do to improve or protect their hearing and brain health. So, I wrote this book.
I’m not a psychologist, nutritionist, exercise physiologist, general practitioner or neurologist, just an avid researcher and unapologetic geek who wants to share what I know.
Stay tuned for the launch date of Between the Ears. If want to learn more about the connection between hearing and cognitive decline, please hop online and book into a free live or online seminar in an ever-growing list of cities at http://localhost/ [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Stress can be good and bad. Good stress (eustress) is the excitement you feel when you’re getting married, achieving that goal or being offered a great job. Negative stress is the modern disease and the root cause of many ill-health conditions; it can even impact your hearing.
At a basic level, when we encounter a stressor, our body responds by releasing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which provides a burst of energy or strength. The blood vessels constrict and divert more oxygen to the muscles, which increases a person’s strength to take action. However, it also raises blood pressure and frequent or chronic stress can make your heart work too hard over long periods. This can cause oxidative damage and inflammation.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants and can damage cells that may eventually weaken the immune system and lead to a range of diseases. It’s also considered to be the primary mechanism behind impaired nerve endings that results in sensorineural hearing loss – the most common form of hearing loss.here
Constant stress stops the body receiving that clear signal to return to normal. Eventually it can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other illnesses, which can in turn affect your hearing.
Stress and hearing loss
One side effect of daily stress and the overproduction of adrenaline is the reduction of blood flow throughout the body; including the ears. The hair cells in the inner ear rely on the constant blood flow for delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Without it, those fragile hair cells can become damaged; sometimes permanently.
In one study, Stress and the Onset of Sudden Hearing Loss and Tinnitus (Tinnitus Journal, 2000), 40 hospitalized patients with sudden hearing loss and tinnitus were compared to a control group of inpatients of an ear-nose-throat ward, to test the idea that stress might be a predisposing risk factor in the development of sudden hearing loss and tinnitus.here
The study result revealed that patients with sudden hearing loss and tinnitus scored significantly higher on both measures of stress on the life event and daily hassles scales than those in the clinical control group.
Stress and tinnitus
Many studies link stress to tinnitus as both a cause and symptom. The sounds may wax and wane but they tend to be more acute during times of stress. One study found that 53 percent of patients with tinnitus said their symptoms started during a stressful time in their lives, or were exacerbated during stressful periods.
Stress itself doesn’t cause chronic high blood pressure, however, stress can cause people to adopt poor habits that will. Hypertension, can damage your blood vessels, which can happen anywhere in your body, including your ears. When the blood vessels in your ears are damaged your hearing could be impaired.
Social isolation and loneliness are not only unpleasant, but they also trigger the stress response. Studies have shown that people who are socially isolated have higher levels of cortisol in their bloodstream when they wake up in the morning; the resulting impact on cardiovascular health suggests you’d be better off smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Research also indicates that loneliness is twice as likely to kill you than obesity.
Acres of research points to strong links between social isolation, loneliness and untreated hearing loss. As most people with hearing loss find it difficult to hear in background noise and groups, there’s a tendency to start avoiding those situations. This frequently and gradually leads to social isolation, and the disappointment associated with missing out on the interactions you once enjoyed. Hearing loss can also lead to isolation on the domestic front; not a day goes by in the clinic where we don’t hear of couples having separate TV rooms, or being the butt of deaf jokes, or people generally feeling left out.
De-Stress
If you’ve experienced hearing loss because of stress, it would be wise to prevent further damage. If you’re having difficulty dealing with events in your life, you might seek counselling. A problem shared is a problem halved, and new perspectives on your issues can make a big difference.
I know that if I pump some iron after a stressful day, I feel great. Do a physical activity that you enjoy, be it dancing, walking, yoga, vacuuming the house, or going to the gym. Exercise and other physical activities produce endorphins, which improves your ability to sleep, reduces stress and makes your body fitter to deal with daily stresses.
Meditation
Meditation has a myriad of physical and mental health benefits. Plus, it helps you relax, become self-aware and gain clarity. Click here to read my blog on meditation.
Do something you love each day
Adopt a daily activity that brings you joy. Listen to music, go for a swim, start a hobby, read or watch something hilarious on TV. Laughing releases tension, boosts immunity and releases endorphins.
As an independent Masters-Qualified audiologist, I am passionate about facilitating your return to fuller participation in life. My talented team at NeuAudio focuses on hearing and brain health in Melbourne and Brisbane.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Her is an American sci-fi movie about a man who develops a relationship with his artificially intelligent, in-ear virtual assistant. In a bizarre twist of events, they fall in love. Sound far-fetched? Think again.
The way hearing aids are developing, it seems that in the not-too-distant future we’ll be able to have a relationship with those devices that have the potential to link to all kinds of apps and even give us super, substantially better than normal hearing. But for now, they’re doing a mighty fine job of restoring hearing, reducing strain on the brain, and bestowing us with Bluetooth interactivity. The big beige banana is passé; most solutions we work with are virtually undetectable.
Here’s how they work
Under normal circumstances where people have no hearing loss, a high degree of ‘teamwork’ occurs between the ears. We call this binaural ability; binaural meaning both ears. When the hearing system is damaged, we lose much of our binaural ability. Many of the new age of hearing aids have binaural beamforming, a function that allows the microphones to work together as a team, supplementing this impaired ability. This means a person is 30% more able to understand speech in background noise with binaural beaming than with hearing aids that don’t have that capability. In fact, several studies have shown that binaural beamforming technology can give wearers an advantage over people with normal hearing, provided their hearing loss is in the mild to moderate range.
Hearing devices have two sides
The brain has two hemispheres that are divided by a thick band of around 250 million nerve fibres (corpus callosum), which is the communication vehicle between the two sides. Generally speaking, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and vice-versa.
It’s like that for hearing as well. Where our hearing systems are working normally, around 80 percent of everything we hear goes to the opposite side of the brain. An elaborate feedback system sends the sounds to nerve endings at the opposite ear to give us the ability to focus on what we want to hear and separate out what we don’t.
While conventional directional microphones have significantly improved the signal-to-noise ratio (the balance between sounds you want to hear vs sounds that you don’t) for users, it’s simply not enough, so hearing someone speak during a lot of background noise is still difficult. Fortunately, several manufacturers utilise binaural beamforming technology. In my Melbourne and Brisbane clinics, I only recommend devices with binaural function because of the significantly increased benefits for communication and cognition.
It’s well documented that untreated hearing loss requires increased listening effort, which increases cognitive load, or strain on the brain. There are specific brainwave patterns for listening effort that can be picked up by EEG electrodes on the skull; studies have shown that binaural beamforming devices require less listening effort to understand speech in noisy situations. Studies have also shown that memory recall for conversations in background noise is also better with binaural beamforming devices, largely due to reduced cognitive load.
Hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia largely due to the associated cognitive load and impacts on memory (the hearing centres in the brain occupies interconnected space with the memory centres). Fortunately, unlike dementia, hearing loss is highly treatable thanks to today’s technology.
The future is now
New generation hearing aids are rechargeable, have directional microphones and Bluetooth capability that allows them to link to your smartphone and TV, and they’re barely visible. Some even use artificial intelligence to pick up patterns of speech, and automatically adjust to reduce background noise and focus on the prominent speaker. Another convenient feature in most of today’s devices is that I can be in my Melbourne or Brisbane clinic and fine tune your device remotely, which can reduce the need for in-person appointments when these are not possible.
These innovations require enormous research and development, which is why the latest technology can be more expensive. Some devices fit entirely inside the ear canal. They’re invisible, however there’s a trade off with function and invisibility because they cannot accommodate all the features. However, the time is nigh when they’ll be invisible and embody all the functions, including artificial intelligence which will greet you in the morning, provide the weather forecast, and relay the fastest route through traffic.
Cross wired
A boon for those who suffer complete deafness in one ear while having some hearing in the other is the Cros system. These devices pick up sound from the dead ear and route it over to the good ear, which gives the person the perception that they’re hearing easily through both ears. This also allows them to hear better in background noise, and hear where sounds are coming from.
An Audiologist can catch you if you fall
Some hearing aids have built-in accelerometers (a sensor measuring acceleration forces), which, combined with artificial intelligence can detect when the wearer has a fall. They’re so clever, they can send alert messages to up to three people who are programmed into the system. They receive GPS directions to locate the wearer. Given that falls are Australia’s largest contributor to hospitalised injury cases and a leading cause of deaths, this is a life-saving innovation.
If you’re noticing that you’re leaning in to listen to someone, not hearing entire words, or asking people to repeat a lot, then do book into NeuAudio for a consultation from our independent masters trained Audiologists. Hearing device fitting is non-invasive, easy and can be brain and lifesaving.
Click here to book a consultation in Brisbane or Melbourne.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The medical profession tends to treat our ailments in isolation, which is why there are so many specialisations in medicine. However, generally, things don’t go wrong with parts of our body in isolation. The ears are no exception. Hearing depends on blood flow, healthy nerves, and general wellbeing.
Studies show that meditation can reduce the production of adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones), and increase the flow of blood within the ears. That blood flow is essential to maintaining hearing health.
Overproduction of stress hormones can reduce blood circulation in the inner ear and prolonged exposure to these fight or flight chemicals creates inflammation, which can cause parts of the body to deteriorate. So, it’s no surprise that stress can influence the delicate parts within the ears. This will not only cause hearing loss over time, in rare cases, sudden hearing loss can occur if circulation in that region stops completely.
It’s understandable therefore that meditation, which reduces stress, also decreases these deteriorating effects. As it turns out, according to research conducted by Sara Lazar, neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, meditation goes a step further and can be beneficial to the primary hearing centres of the brain. According to a meta-analysis of several published studies,
“Those who meditated have an increased thickness of grey matter in parts of the brain responsible for attention compared to those who do not meditate.”
The parts of the brain associated with memory and recognising language, are also involved in processing sensory information including hearing, so the increase in grey matter suggests that meditation enhances the ability to pay attention, as well as the way the brain codes and stores auditory information.
In one study examining long term meditators vs a control group, they found long-term meditators have an increased amount of grey matter in the insula and sensory regions, which is part of the auditory and sensory cortex. They also discovered increased grey matter in the frontal cortex, which is associated with higher level cognitive skills and the daily working memory.
As we age, the cortex shrinks so remembering and figuring things out can be more challenging. What researchers discovered in 50-year-old meditators, was that the prefrontal cortex had the same amount of grey matter as 25-year-olds.
A second study observed people who’d never meditated before. A group who was put through an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program had increased brain volume after just eight weeks.
Separate to the physiological benefits to the auditory system, meditation has been shown to increase people’s ability to feel compassion and empathy. Combined with attentional improvements, it follows that you may well become a better listener. How can that not be a good thing?
Meditation is also a great benefit in relation to tinnitus because it can improve your ability to selectively switch attention away from the annoying sounds as you go about your day. Conversely during meditation sessions, it can be helpful to focus on the tinnitus sound because then you may start to associate it with the positive experience of relaxation and calm. This new, more peaceful
association may slowly replace the old disturbing and stressful one. Alternatively, it might be helpful to play relaxing sounds or music during meditation sessions if you find the tinnitus particularly distracting.
A useful resource for starting out or complementing an existing practice is a smartphone app called ‘Waking Up’ developed by Neuroscientist & Philosopher Sam Harris. You can find his website via the following link, the app is available as a free trial, I can highly recommend his 21-day introductory course, just 10 minutes a day. Sam’s Waking Up app is quite comprehensive; he has also written a fascinating book by the same name.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_button button_color=”accent” border_width=”0″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwakingup.com%2F|title:Click%20here%20to%20check%20it%20out||”]Click here to check it out[/vc_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If I could recommend one habit to anyone I care about, it would be to develop the habit of meditating. What have you got to lose?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
I spend over 50% of my clinical time educating patients on the importance of wearing their hearing aids full time. Unfortunately in Australia, studies have shown that around one third of hearing aids almost never leave the top draw.
Additionally only one third of Australia’s with hearing aids wear them for the recommended length of time, 12 hours, that is required to receive the full benefits (as well as cognitive enhancement) not to mention value.
There is a common misconception that hearing aids can be worn like reading glasses. You simply pop them on in conversation and don’t need to wear them at any other time. Hearing aids don’t work in this way – your brain needs time to adjust.
Hearing aids work by amplifying sound as it enters your ears. This helps to enable sound to be converted into electrical energy and sent to the brain for interpretation.
Initially this can seem really overwhelming. This is because the brain is being inundated with so many electrical signals that you haven’t been hearing for a really long time. However, the more you wear your devices the faster this process occurs and the quicker your brain can adjust.
The brain needs to time. It needs to work out which sounds to focus on and which ones it doesn’t need to, like background noise. An example of this is the air conditioner or sound of a clock ticking in a quiet room. If we focus on them, we can hear them. However, after a while we don’t notice these background noises.
The more you wear your hearing aids the better. Your brain becomes faster at recognising speech and important sounds to go about your daily life and ignoring unimportant sounds like background noise.
If you only wear them for a few hours a day there isn’t enough time for this to occur. This is why if you haven’t been wearing them often and you go out into a group situation, like a noisy restaurant, it can feel really overwhelming. The brain hasn’t had enough time to adjust and filter out unwanted sounds.
When we wear our hearing aids full time our brain is receiving more information from the ears. This increased level of stimulation can feel really overwhelming at the start. It is the number one reason why devices get left in the top draw.
When I am talking to my patients about being fitted with hearing devices for the first time, I like to call the first few weeks an acclimatisation period. This helps my patients to understand that this adjustment period does take time.
In fact the initial adjustment period for hearing aids can be several months. At the start it is really overwhelming. You simply aren’t used to that increased level of sound.
The best thing you can do is persevere, so the brain can adjust. Perhaps turn the volume down on them slightly, rather than taking them out. If they are too overwhelming, talk to your audiologist and they can make adjustments or recommendations for you.
Understand that the first few weeks are going to be the hardest. The more you wear your hearing aids at the start the faster this process will occur. Doing activities like reading a book aloud can speed up this process, especially in relation to how you hear your own voice.
When you have a hearing loss you have less environmental awareness. You are missing subtle cues like your footsteps and trip hazards beneath your feet. The research shows you are 2.4 times more likely to have a fall with a hearing loss, than a person with normal hearing.
Additionally, many researchers believe that you have to use a lot more of your mental resources if you have a hearing loss. When we don’t wear our hearing devices full time we have to strain to hear. We are also relying on the visual parts of our brain to lip read and interpret hand gestures. We rely on our memory more to piece together what is going on from previous experiences.
Dr Frank Lin is the world leader in hearing and brain health. Dr Lin says that “Gait and balance are things most people take for granted. However they are actually very cognitively demanding,” Dr Lin explains that hearing losses uses more of our mental resources as we struggle to hear. This leaves fewer cognitive resources to help maintain balance and gait (walking). One of the reason’s why he, and many other researchers have demonstrated a link between hearing loss and increased falls.
In the previous point we discussed how we have to use more of our mental resources when we are struggling to hear. It is very common for people with hearing loss to feel exhausted by the end of the day. When you need to rely on watching faces and sometimes guessing what has been said, you are using far more cognitive resources that communicating via hearing alone.
If we treat hearing loss and wear hearing devices full – time we are decreasing that cognitive load, which consequently can improve those feelings of exhaustion.
Finally, there is a direct link between cognitive decline and hearing loss. With hearing loss there is an under stimulation of the corresponding parts of your brain that interprets sound.
Studies have shown up to a 30 – 40% loss in brain matter in the areas associated with speech, hearing language and memory when hearing loss is untreated. Fortunately, recent studies have shown that such loss can be reversible with full time hearing aid use. It’s why hearing is SO important and a VERY IMPORTANT reason to keep your devices in full time.
There are so many benefits to wearing your devices full time. The research shows the benefits not only affect you but also those you care about the most. Treatment of hearing loss isn’t just about getting them fitted. It’s about wearing them on a full time basis, meaning around 12 hours per day.
So the next time you are thinking about leaving them in the top draw until you are having a conversation, I hope you take a moment to think back on some of these compelling reasons to keep them in from when you wake up in the morning and retire to bed at night.
If you would like to understand more about the link between cognitive decline and hearing loss, you can order a complimentary copy of my book here: Order Your Free Copy Now
If you are worried about if you have a hearing loss or are frustrated with the devices that you currently have and would like a second opinion to see if we can get you wearing them more frequently, please feel free to book in for a complimentary consultation with me. Book Now
Cognifit – A Sharp Mind or a Fit Body?
In a substantial study on longevity, Pew research indicates that only 20 percent of respondents wanted to live to age 90 or older. Why such a lack of interest? Concerns about decline in healthy life years and in particular dementia a recurring theme. Imagine you could fast forward to your 90+ year old self, at that ripe older age if you had to make a choice, would you favour mental or physical fitness? Most people I ask at my seminars would prefer to have both! But how to maintain both? This post focuses on new technologies for training the mind; online brain training that is scientifically proven, easily accessible and personally motivating.
It can be considered common knowledge that physical exercise at least three times per week is advisable for overall well being, longevity and prevention of decline. However, the notion of training the mind on a similar regimen may seem odd to many. Where would one start?
According to Alexandre Bennett, a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in geriatrics., a fear of dementia is often greater than the fear of death itself. ”People fear this more than death, because it steals your personality and turns you into somebody that requires total care,” she says.
Before we dive into online brain training with promising indications for the prevention of cognitive decline, I should point out the beneficial impact of treating hearing loss on cognition. Studies published by the University of Maryland and University of Melbourne earlier this year on specific measures of cognition, visual working memory, processing speed, and executive function showed improvement after 6 months of full time use of quality hearing device use. This recent research ads to the growing body of evidence that hearing devices have on cognition, including a major review whereby the Lancet Journal recognise hearing loss as the #1 preventable risk factor for the prevention of dementia.
When training the mind, Sudoku and crosswords can be helpful in cognition, however they’re limited in scope. A major study in the British Medical Journal found that crossword puzzles and Sudoku could boost mental ability in specific ways, they had no influence over mental decline as people age. Skills trained in these activities are very specific and eventually a ‘plateau’ is reached where progress is limited. It’s like going to the gym and performing a couple of specific exercises with the same weight, you’ll reach a point where progress flattens out.
If you’ve ever been to one of my live seminars, read my book or followed NeuAudio on social media, you’ll know I’m an advocate of structured brain training, specifically cognitive training. What has cognitive training that got to do with Audiology you may ask? The answer is plenty! Consider your ability to hear in background noise, this involves separating the target signal from distracting noise, an interplay between pattern recognition, selective attention and short-term memory. The most common forms of hearing loss result in a loss of perception of many higher pitch consonant sounds which requires input from the visual system to ‘fill in the gaps’ with body language, facial expression and lip movement, a considerable and multifaceted cognitive task.
Recent research published by Edith Cowan University examined 26 peer-reviewed studies examining the effectiveness of seven brain training programs for people aged over 50. They found two programs reached their gold standard of Level 1 in scientific backing; these are Cognifit and BrainHQ.
Having researched and personally used both programs, my preference and recommendation is Congifit. After reviewing close to 8,000 studies, reviewers at the University of Western Australia stated that CogniFit possessed the highest level of evidence showing concrete effects of brain training in healthy aging. CogniFit can be classified as a cognitively preventative program for dementia, i.e. a serious game that keeps the player cognitively engaged and slows down the symptoms of dementia.
In short, Cognifit has a general cognitive assessment component and personalised training program. The assessment generates an overall score out of 800 and an equivalent cognitive age based on your results. As you progress through the training program, which is simply 15-20 minutes every second day, your score out of 800 changes. I have to say personally find it quite motivating to see the score improve (on most days ; )
I’d encourage you to give it a try, what do you have to lose?
Best Regards
Andrew
p.s. If you or someone you know may benefit from my help and you’re interested in Cognifit, I’ll happily gift you a general Cognifit assessment and 6 months training access (valued at $230) once they or you become a patient of the practice; additionally we’ll send a set of hearing devices to Cambodia on your behalf for referred patients.
p.p.s I’m in no way associated with Cognifit, like treating hearing loss (my day job), it’s one of the best ways I’ve found to help prevent cognitive decline.
Click here to learn more about what I can do to help, or find one of my clinics.
