Hippocampal atrophy across the lifespan is associated with cognitive decline, as is difficulty understanding speech-in-noise. The hippocampus contains subfields with distinct functions, but their involvement in hearing-related differences is unknown....
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Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Audiologists should be aware of growing structural brain evidence linking speech-in-noise difficulty to hippocampal atrophy, but this cross-sectional association does not yet justify changes to clinical screening or referral protocols.
This study adds neuroimaging evidence to the hearing–cognition link, potentially strengthening the case for early auditory intervention as a strategy to protect brain health.
- 01Speech-in-noise difficulty was associated with reduced hippocampal subfield volume on structural MRI.
- 02Both younger and older adults were studied, allowing age-related comparisons.
- 03The study is published in Neurobiology of Aging (doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2026.06.007).
- 04Findings are correlational; causality between hearing loss and hippocampal atrophy is not established.
- 05Cognitive and hearing measures co-varied with specific hippocampal subfields, not the hippocampus as a whole.
Speech-in-noise difficulty is associated with hippocampal subfield atrophy on structural MRI.
studypartially supportedCognition and hearing measures co-vary with hippocampal subfield features in both younger and older adults.
studysupported- PMID
- 42364543
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2026.06.007.
- Journal
- Neurobiology of Aging
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Younger and older adults assessed for cognition and hearing
- Intervention
- Structural MRI measurement of hippocampal subfield volumes co-varied with hearing and cognitive measures
- Comparator
- Younger adults vs. older adults
Primary outcomes
Hippocampal subfield volume on structural MRI; Speech-in-noise performance; Cognitive test scores