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Hearing Impairment Is Associated with Smaller Brain Volume in Aging
Stephanie C Rigters1, Daniel Bos2, Mick Metselaar1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|February 7, 2017
Summary
Hearing impairment in older adults is linked to reduced total brain volume, particularly affecting white matter (WM). This association persists regardless of cognitive function or cardiovascular health, highlighting a significant relationship between sensory decline and brain structure.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Emerging evidence suggests a connection between age-related hearing loss and brain alterations.
- Population-level data on the relationship between hearing impairment and brain volume in the elderly are limited.
- Understanding these links is crucial for public health initiatives targeting cognitive aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between hearing impairment and global/regional brain volumes in a large elderly cohort.
- To determine if this relationship is independent of cognitive function and cardiovascular risk factors.
- To explore sub-regional brain differences using voxel-based morphometry.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the population-based Rotterdam Study, including 2,908 elderly participants (mean age 65).
- Quantified hearing impairment using pure-tone audiometry and brain volumes (total, gray matter, white matter, lobe-specific) via MR imaging.
- Employed multiple linear regression and voxel-based morphometry, adjusting for relevant covariates.
Main Results:
- A higher pure-tone hearing threshold was significantly associated with smaller total brain volume.
- White matter (WM) volume showed a notable association with hearing impairment, particularly at lower frequencies.
- These associations were consistent across brain lobes and independent of cognitive and cardiovascular factors.
Conclusions:
- Age-related hearing impairment is demonstrably linked to reduced total brain volume in the elderly.
- The primary driver of this association appears to be a decrease in white matter volume throughout the brain.
- Findings underscore the importance of addressing hearing health in aging populations to potentially preserve brain structure.
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