When the ears don’t hear properly the whole brain is unhappy! In fact, it shrinks, both as a whole and in particular areas.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging found that areas of the brain responsible for memory and sensory integration atrophied faster in those with hearing loss. These areas (middle and inferior temporal gyri, for example) have been implicated in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
This certainly makes a case for treating hearing loss quickly! I wonder if remedial brain training could help those affected by hearing loss?
Read more at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811914000032