Hearing aids could be used to prevent dementia and help stem the growing rate of Alzheimer’s, research by Trinity College Dublin has found. Hearing loss in older adults is associated with cognitive decline and dementia, the biggest study to date of the conditions has concluded. Further research was needed to establish exactly how hearing loss affected the risk of dementia, said David Loughrey, who led the investigations. “The hypothesis is that as people lose their hearing they have to use more resources, or have a diversion of resources to perceive speech,” Dr Loughrey said. “This leaves fewer resources available and draws away from cognitive functions such as memory.…

Source: The Times December 15, 2017 00:00 UTC