Other Titles

The link between hearing loss and dementia

Abstract

Dementia is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide. While there are genetic dispositions for developing this condition, there are also modifiable risk factors that remain undiscovered. The project is an investigation of the rate of dementia and cognitive decline as a direct result of hearing loss while focusing on the effects of hearing-aids. Research evidence was gathered from five studies that were done within recent years to obtain the most updated information available on the effect hearing loss has on cognitive functioning. The participants in this study ranged from ages of 50-100, and most were first-time hearing-aid users. A link between hearing loss and dementia is real and a possible modifiable risk factor. Further long-term studies are needed to track the rate of cognitive function and allow for more accurate results. Finding modifiable risk factors would change the impact this uncharted disease has on people in society and healthcare.

Author Details

Melinda Kassandra Lopez, BSN, a registered nurse practicing in rural Minnesota. She is currently eighteen-years-old and the youngest nursing graduate of Minnesota West Community and Technical College (Diploma and A.D.N). Lopez is also currently in progress of becoming the youngest nursing graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Other Undergraduate Paper

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Literature Review

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Cognitive Decline, Dementia, Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids

Advisor

Nancyruth Leibold

Degree

Bachelor's

Degree Grantor

Southwest Minnesota State University

Degree Year

2019

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2020-01-09

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