Document Type

Capstone Project

Publication Date

Summer 7-1-2021

First Advisor

Nicholas Stanley, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A

Keywords

Hearing loss, hearing impairment, cognitive decline, cognitive impairment, social isolation, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Audiology, Cognition, Aging

Abstract

While recent research has suggested that hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline, a direct connection between the two is not clear. With the steady increase of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease in older adults, it is important to note that there are precautions that may be taken in order to slow the process of cognitive decline. Despite the fact that the causality between hearing loss and cognitive decline remains unclear, research in the area of treating the hearing loss has shown a positive impact on people with dementia. The aim of this literature review is to collect research regarding hearing loss and its relationship to cognitive decline. The literature review explores different studies and their findings in relation to hearing loss and cognitive decline. Therefore, this review hopes to highlight the devastating impact hearing loss can play, both socially and emotionally, in older adults and their families. This collection of articles provides insight for professionals to grasp a better understanding of the impact of hearing loss on an individual and their cognition. This literature review can also be used as a reference to give direction to future studies focused on a better understanding of hearing loss and its relationship to cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

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