Hearing loss while young may negatively impact brain function, according to a new study (eNeuro 21 May 2018, 5 (3) ENEURO.0263-17.2018). Researchers at Ohio State University tested how differences in hearing acuity neurologically influence speech processing in their subjects. The researchers took fMRIs of 35 subjects, aged 18-41, as they listened to sentences with varying in difficulty. The study originally aimed to observe the neural activity as the subject attempted to comprehend sentences of differing complexity, and the researchers found that subjects with subtle hearing loss had very different fMRIs. The fMRIs of those subjects showed activity in the right frontal cortex of the brain, rather than exclusively in the left hemisphere.
Previous research has established that as hearing gets progressively worse with time, more of the right frontal cortex is used to process language. “But in our study, young people with mild hearing decline were already experiencing this phenomenon,” said lead researcher Yune Lee, PhD, an assistant professor of speech and hearing science at Ohio State University. “Their brains already know that the perception of sound is not what it used to be and the right side starts compensating for the left.”
The researchers noted that the slight hearing loss they observed in their subjects went unnoticed because of the brain’s compensation, but the extra effort invested in understanding spoken sentences might have other adverse effects. The study raised the concern that such extra wear on the brain might cause harm beyond only aural.
Previous research has noted that increased hearing loss is correlated with greater risk of dementia, and if people lose their hearing before they reach seniority, they may also suffer from dementia earlier. “Hearing loss, even minor deficits, can take a toll in young people – they’re using cognitive resources that could be preserved until much later in life,” said Lee. “Most concerning, this early hearing loss could pave the way for dementia.”
Previous research has established that as hearing gets progressively worse with time, more of the right frontal cortex is used to process language. “But in our study, young people with mild hearing decline were already experiencing this phenomenon,” said lead researcher Yune Lee, PhD, an assistant professor of speech and hearing science at Ohio State University. “Their brains already know that the perception of sound is not what it used to be and the right side starts compensating for the left.”
The researchers noted that the slight hearing loss they observed in their subjects went unnoticed because of the brain’s compensation, but the extra effort invested in understanding spoken sentences might have other adverse effects. The study raised the concern that such extra wear on the brain might cause harm beyond only aural.
Previous research has noted that increased hearing loss is correlated with greater risk of dementia, and if people lose their hearing before they reach seniority, they may also suffer from dementia earlier. “Hearing loss, even minor deficits, can take a toll in young people – they’re using cognitive resources that could be preserved until much later in life,” said Lee. “Most concerning, this early hearing loss could pave the way for dementia.”
Published: 6/14/2018 10:20:00 AM
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