Nuclear medicine shows strong tie between hearing loss, Alzheimer's

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - New research shows a loss of hearing can accelerate a loss of brain function. A recent study found that people who use their hearing aids had their brains age 1.5 times slower than those who didn’t.

Newly available nuclear imaging presents new tools for a long studied treatment.

“The Correlation between hearing aids and progression to dementia has been studied for many many years,” Medstar Washington Hospital Center Dr. Carlos Garcia said.

A study conducted by UCLA Nuclear Medicine Director Daniel Silverman quantified that link, showing the exact areas of the brain affected by hearing loss.

“The multiple areas that had a significant rate of decline acceleration in the presence of hearing loss, there were no areas that had significant rate of decline of acceleration in the presence of hearing loss plus hearing aids,” UCLA Nuclear Medicine Director Dr. Daniel Silverman said.

Bottom line, anyone who needs a hearing aid, and is at risk for Alzheimer’s, should wear one.

“It can slow down the progression of decline in the brain function that could eventually lead to slowing down,” said Dr. Carlos Garcia.

The new imaging can also catch Alzheimer’s more quickly, and provide patients with a plan earlier than normal.

“So with Alzheimer’s Disease for example, we can see changes that we can diagnose years before patients would be diagnosable clinically, and be able to predict not only that they’ll get that disease, but also how fast they’re going to decline, and which particular cognitive functions they’re going to decline in,” Silverman said.

Silverman added these new tools can study how a healthy brain works, and eventually lead to more understanding in the scientific community.

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