Ep. 2023-07: Barbara Weinstein, PhD, and Jan Blustein, MD, on Cognition and Hearing Loss

Dr. Barbara Weinstein and Dr. Jan Blustein interpret the results of the ACHIEVE study recently published in The Lancet and address common misunderstandings of the data. The experts explain the difference between risk and risk factor, as well as correlation and causation.

✦ Related stories ✦

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·4w ago

Effects of Hearing Intervention on Cognitive Function in Patients with Presbycusis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis provides the strongest available evidence that hearing intervention positively impacts cognitive function in older adults with age-related hearing loss; audiologists should use these findings to counsel patients and reinforce the...

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·2w ago

The Genetic Causes of Auditory Neuropathy: A Systematic Review

Genetic testing for auditory neuropathy is clinically meaningful because the causative gene can influence cochlear implant candidacy and expected outcomes; audiologists should advocate for genetic workup in confirmed auditory neuropathy cases.

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·6d ago

Hearing Loss in Adults With Diabetes and Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Audiologists should consider routine hearing screening for adult patients with known diabetes or prediabetes, as this meta-analysis provides strong epidemiological evidence linking both conditions to increased prevalence and severity of hearing loss.

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·5w ago

Genotype-guided Recall Delineates the Adult Auditory Phenotype in GJB2 p.V37I Homozygotes: High-frequency Vulnerability and Environmental Modulation

Adults with GJB2 p.V37I homozygosity should be counselled about high-frequency hearing vulnerability and monitored with high-frequency audiometry; environmental noise protection is advisable given evidence of environmental modulation.

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·4w ago

Speech-in-Noise Ability and Longitudinal Cortical Thinning in Speech-Processing Networks

While findings strengthen the biological case for early hearing intervention to protect brain health, the study is observational — audiologists should not change screening or treatment protocols based on this alone, but it reinforces counseling patients on the cognitive...

PubMed·Preprint·Research (general)·7w ago

Modulation statistics allow robust prediction of speech recognition accuracy across many words, voices, and natural background sounds

This preprint offers a potentially valuable acoustic framework for predicting speech-in-noise performance, but findings require peer review and clinical validation before influencing hearing aid fitting or speech-in-noise test selection.

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·4w ago

COCH -Related Hearing Loss in a French Cohort: Novel Variants and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations

For audiologists and geneticists: when autosomal dominant non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss is suspected, COCH gene testing is warranted; newly identified variants from this cohort may expand diagnostic panels, but clinical management protocols are not yet changed by...

PubMed·Journal article·Research (general)·7w ago

Depression, speech intelligibility, and articulatory coordination

Audiologists assessing speech perception in noise should be aware that Major Depressive Disorder with psychomotor slowing may independently reduce a patient's speech intelligibility, potentially confounding standard audiological testing results.