Hearing Blog

New Johns Hopkins study shows that hearing aids decreased cognitive decline in at-risk individuals

Landmark results in hearing care have just been released from two studies which provide additional evidence supporting the potential benefits of hearing intervention, including hearing aids in preserving cognitive function over time.

The ACHIEVE and ENHANCE studies incorporate:

• Best practice audiological management
• Comprehensive cognitive assessments to provide more insight into the relationship between hearing loss and cognition
• Both studies were supported by Sonova’s research program and an in-kind donation of Phonak hearing aids

Sonova, and its brand Phonak, have been supporting clinical research for a long time and are committed to further supporting and driving evidence in the field of holistic hearing care.

The Johns Hopkins ACHIEVE study is the first of its kind (a longitudinal, multi-center, randomized control trial over a 3 year period) and showed that treating hearing loss in older adults who had more risk factors for cognitive decline slowed down loss of thinking and memory abilities by 48% over 3 years. The same result was not seen in the healthy volunteers in the study.

As part of Phonak’s ongoing commitment to understanding the link between hearing and cognition, Phonak developed the ECHHO (Enhancing Cognitive Health via Hearing Optimization) training program to help you integrate cognitive health into audiological counselling. With this training, you will help your patients strengthen the understanding of the benefits of hearing technology beyond just hearing better.

This program will include:

• Latest research and evidence about the impact of hearing intervention on cognitive well-being
• The relationship between hearing loss and cognition
• Audiological best practices for integrating cognition into the clinical conversation
• Working with patients with or exhibiting signs of cognitive decline or dementia