Scientists have long known that as we age, our brain becomes smaller. But new research from the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland suggests that older adults who suffer from hearing loss are more likely to experience a higher level of brain shrinkage at a faster rate.
To reach their findings, recently published online in the journal NeuroImage, the research team analyzed 126 participants aged between 56 and 86 years for up to a 10-year period.
During this time, participants were required to undergo yearly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for their brain changes to be tracked.
At the baseline of the study, subjects also underwent physical examinations, including hearing tests. At this point, 71 participants had normal hearing, while 51 had impaired hearing with a minimum loss of 25 decibels.
Hearing impairment 'shrinks brain faster'
After analyzing all MRIs that had been conducted over the years, the investigators found that participants who had impaired hearing at the baseline of the study experienced brain atrophy - brain shrinkage - at a faster rate, compared with subjects who had normal hearing.
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