A Silent Connection Hearing Loss, Dementia, and Depression

That’s bad news for anyone with hearing problems that are disabling. In this blog, we’ll explore hearing loss and the brain, how it impacts mental health and cognitive function, and how to cope with hearing problems.

HOW COMMON IS HEARING LOSS?

Hearing loss is considered the most common neurological disorder in the world. According to 2025 statistics from the World Health Organization, disabling hearing loss affects approximately 430 million children and worldwide adults. Experts believe that by 2050, more than 700 million individuals will have hearing loss that is disabling.

In the US, roughly 15% of adults—about 37.5 million people—report some hearing problems. Hearing loss that requires rehabilitation becomes more common as a person ages. This is known as age-related hearing loss.

Among American adults, disabling hearing loss occurs in about 5% of those aged 45 to 54, 10% of 55- to 64-year-olds, 22% of people ages 65 to 74, and 55% of adults ages 75 and older, according to the latest statistics from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Experts estimated that nearly 29 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids. Seeking treatment for hearing loss is critical for overall mental health and brain function.

HEARING LOSS AND THE BRAIN

Hearing relies on complex communication among neurons in the brain. A fascinating 2025 study in Nature Communications reveals the unique patterns within the brain responsible for processing sound.

To understand spoken words, the notes being played on a piano, or a fire engine siren, the brain’s neurocircuitry must be operating correctly. For example, hearing loss is associated with impairments in the brain.

Neuroimaging studies show that hearing impairment shrinks the brain. A 2023 brain-imaging study found that people with hearing loss had brain changes in several regions, including:

• Temporal lobes: Involved in hearing and understanding language, as well as memory, moods, and learning
• Frontal cortex: Involved in executive functions such as planning, forethought, and decision-making

Other findings in Neuroimage revealed decreased overall brain volume in older adults who were hard of hearing. Reductions in volume were also found in specific brain regions, including the right temporal lobe.

Which comes first—hearing loss or brain changes? Experts haven’t figured it out yet. Some research suggests that in people with hearing loss, the extra effort required to process sound may contribute to changes in the brain. Others have found that brain changes may develop prior to hearing loss or at the same time.

More brain-imaging research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms at work in hearing loss.

HEARING LOSS AND DEMENTIA

If you’re hearing impaired, you have a greater risk of developing dementia. In fact, hearing loss is one of the biggest risk factors for dementia, according to a 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. This report joins years of scientific evidence pointing to a connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline.

In a study from hearing experts at Johns Hopkins, researchers followed 639 people for approximately 12 years.

The researchers found that people with severe hearing loss are five times more likely to develop dementia than those with healthy hearing. In individuals with moderate hearing loss, the risk for dementia was tripled. And among those with mild hearing impairment, dementia was twice as likely to develop.

Additional findings from the Johns Hopkins team shows that cognitive decline occurs more quickly in those with hearing loss. In a follow-up paper from the same research team, adults with hearing loss experienced cognitive decline 30-40% faster than those with healthy hearing.

Press Play to Learn More About Hearing and the Brain

In this episode of the Change Your Brain Every Day podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss the fascinating connection between hearing and the brain with Brandon Salawich, the President and CEO of Starkey, the world’s largest U.S.-based hearing aid manufacturer. Click below to tune in.

            Episode: Neuroscience and the Brain

HEARING IMPAIRMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE

Hearing experts have also noted increased risk for emotional and mental health issues among those with hearing problems, including tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears. The following common mental health conditions seen in people who have trouble hearing are also linked to increased risk of cognitive decline.

Depression:

It’s understandable that losing your hearing can make you feel sad and blue. People who aren’t able to make out what others are saying miss out on so much. At family gatherings or holiday celebrations, grandma may feel left out of all the fun because she can’t follow the conversation.

A wealth of research points to a strong connection between hearing impairment and depression. For example, in one study, 19% of adults with hearing loss experience mild symptoms of depression while more than 11% struggle with moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

Other research shows that as many as 1 in 5 older adults with hearing problems experience symptoms of clinical depression. Having depression later in life is also linked to a 70% increased risk for dementia, according to findings in Archives of General Psychiatry.

                  Related: 5 Ways Your Body Tells You That You Have Anxiety or Depression

Stress and Anxiety:

Losing your hearing can provoke a flood of stressful and anxious thoughts: Will I lose my job if I can’t follow critical conversations at work? What if I can’t hear my phone and I miss an important call? What if I don’t hear the smoke alarm, and I die in a fire? Will I become completely deaf?

Anxiety tends to increase as hearing loss worsens. On the flip side, research demonstrates that stress has been associated with the onset of ringing in the ears and the worsening of tinnitus. And research in BMJ Open has also tagged having an anxiety disorder as a risk factor for dementia.

Anger:

Irritability and frustration are common in people with hearing difficulties as well as in their loved ones. Not being able to hear what someone is saying can lead to misunderstandings and may trigger angry outbursts that negatively impact relationships.

How you view your hearing loss also plays a role in your emotional well-being. For example, perceiving hearing loss as a disability is linked to feeling angry, according to a study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders.

In addition, research notes that anger is associated with risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing dementia.

Loneliness:

When you’re struggling with hearing loss, you may find yourself retreating from your friends and family. The embarrassment of having to ask people to repeat themselves may make you shy away from social gatherings.

This is backed by decades of science showing that hearing loss is associated with social isolation and loneliness, especially among women. This can feed a downward spiral of depression, anxiety, or anger and contribute to cognitive decline.

Making matters worse, research shows that loneliness is linked to a 40% increase in the risk for dementia.

                  Related: Is Loneliness Impacting Your Brain Function?

COPING WITH HEARING LOSS AND RELATED SYMPTOMS

When hearing starts to fade, it’s important to address the issue rather than ignore it or hope it will go away. The condition tends to be progressive and untreated hearing loss is associated with increased risk for mental health problems and cognitive decline.

If you are struggling with mental health problems or cognitive decline linked to hearing issues, don’t hesitate to seek help. Learning to cope with the feelings you’re experiencing is just as critical as getting help for your hearing.