New research presented at the EAN Congress 2026 finds that hearing aid use is associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk among adults with epilepsy — a finding that researchers say has direct implications for hearing screening in neurological care settings....
Audiologists and neurologists should consider routine hearing screening for adults with epilepsy; if confirmed in peer-reviewed publication, this association supports proactive hearing aid fitting in this population — but causality is not yet established and the full study details are pending journal review.
This finding extends the hearing aid–dementia risk reduction association into a largely overlooked neurological subpopulation (epilepsy patients), potentially broadening the clinical case for hearing screening in neurology settings.
- 01Hearing aid use was associated with a 23% lower dementia risk in adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss.
- 02Findings were presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026 — not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
- 03The study highlights a gap in current practice: hearing is rarely screened in epilepsy care.
- 04Association does not confirm causation; confounders such as overall health engagement cannot be ruled out.
- 05Results support wider calls for cross-specialty collaboration between audiology and neurology.
Hearing aid use is associated with a 23% lower risk of dementia in adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss.
studypartially supportedHearing screening should be integrated into neurological care for epilepsy patients.
opinionpartially supported- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss
- Intervention
- Hearing aid use
- Comparator
- No hearing aid use
Primary outcomes
Incidence of dementia diagnosis