Hearing Loss & Brain Health | Johnson Audiology

Your ears may pick up sound, but it's your brain that makes sense of it. That’s why hearing loss doesn’t just affect your ability to listen—it affects how your brain functions. Recent research shows that even mild hearing loss can lead to changes in brain activity, increased cognitive load, and long-term structural reorganization.

At Johnson Audiology, we believe hearing care is brain care. Here’s what science is revealing—and how treating hearing loss early may help protect your cognitive health.

The human brain is accustomed to and wired for receiving a full range of environmental sounds with speech being one of the most complex and structured that the human brain interprets. Thus, when an auditory task that was once effortless—like listening to a conversation in a busy restaurant—becomes challenging due to hearing loss, the brain compensates by seeking to accomplish the same goal by way of vision. Researchers have found that the brain physically changes when this recruitment of vision happens, with the higher order areas of the auditory cortex showing functional changes when recruited by vision. Using electroencephalography (EEG) on people with hearing loss, researchers stimulate the brain using only visual input and observe that areas of the brain that responded to auditory input before hearing loss have reorganized to respond to visual stimuli.

Using electroencephalography (EEG), researchers have noted increased activity in the frontal and pre-fontal areas in the brain in those with even mild hearing loss. This re-allocation of cortical resources from the auditory areas to the frontal cognitive areas suggests that the brain is expending more effort to listen. This increase in cognitive load can lead to listening fatigue, may be a factor in cognitive decline, and can put a person at higher risk for mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Yes! Long-term research is still being gathered to paint the full picture on the benefits of hearing technology—like hearing aids and cochlear implants—as it applies to decreased brain recruitment and reorganization, but initial research points in that direction. Some case studies reveal that people wearing hearing aids appear to show a reversal in brain recruitment and reallocation. Further, the brain of a person who has been treated for hearing loss sooner rather than later experiences fewer changes in cortical resource allocation. Also, that person is more likely to retain better speech perception as compared to a person whose brain has "forgotten" how to hear as a result of long-term untreated hearing loss.

Within the audiologic profession, there is a movement that is gaining momentum to fold basic cognitive function screening into hearing testing. Since cognitive issues often present similarly to listening disorders, it makes sense that in coming years audiologists will include a full battery of cognitive assessments to bring greater insight and understanding to a person's overall cognitive health, even when looking at a specific condition like hearing loss. In fact companies are already developing assessment tools that measure reaction time to demonstrate how quickly the brain coordinates between stimulus and response. As science continues to connect the dots of hearing disorders and brain health, hearing care is certain to emerge as a vital tool in improving patients' overall health and wellness, especially since early detection of hearing loss and cognitive impairment is important because hearing loss in mid-life is a risk factor for dementia.

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can manifest from a variety of factors. While tinnitus may have similar characteristics from person to person, each individual's experience with tinnitus can be different in terms of severity, manifestation, and a person's ability to cope with the condition. As much as 90 percent of tinnitus cases can be traced to hearing loss, and even mild hearing loss can lead to tinnitus. Researchers now know that, physiologically, tinnitus occurs in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN). The DCN is the interaction site of auditory and somatosensory system inputs. According to the stochastic resonance theory, hearing loss increases the neural activity of the somatosensory system in the DCN and causes tinnitus. In essence, the brain detects hearing loss in certain frequencies and fills in the silence with ringing. Tinnitus flare ups can also be triggered or exacerbated by things like stress, ototoxic medications, smoking, alcohol consumption, and more. The best place to start in seeking a tinnitus management plan is with a doctor of audiology, who can test to determine exactly what frequencies of hearing have experienced damage leading to hearing loss and, thus, tinnitus. While tinnitus is not currently curable, toning it down is possible and is often best accomplished using a multi-disciplinary team approach with care providers from various specialties playing a role. For those whose tinnitus impacts daily mental health and function, managing the condition can have significant positive benefits for a person's well-being and quality of life.

Today’s hearing aids are nothing like the bulky devices of the past. They’re sleek, sophisticated, and powerful—often equipped with smart features that improve both hearing and brain processing in real time.

Taking control of your hearing means:

Staying mentally sharp as you age
Communicating more clearly with loved ones and healthcare providers
Feeling more connected at work and in social settings
Reducing your risk of isolation, depression, and cognitive decline
Joining thousands of satisfied Johnson Audiology patients who’ve regained quality of life