.JPG) |
| My personal hearing Aids! |
"There’s another reason to be concerned about hearing loss — one of the most common health conditions in older adults and one of the most widely undertreated. A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that elderly people with compromised hearing are at risk of developing cognitive deficits — problems with memory and thinking — sooner than those whose hearing is intact."- Judith Graham
The most common health condition in older
adults, is commonly disregarded and left “undertreated”. The author of the
article explicates a new study by researchers at John Hopkins Medicines which
proposes that cognitive deficits are a risk for elderly adults suffering from compromised
hearing. The results from the
study showed that annual rate of cognitive decline were 41 percent greater in
adults with hearing problems than in those without.
Seniors with a hearing insufficiency are likely to experience problems with mental functioning such as memory and thinking when compared with those whose hearing is still apt.The author makes note of
the significant amount of research by cognitive scientists proving the reliance
of exercise, both physically and mentally, on seniors’ cognitive health.
The concept of “cognitive load” assumes that all individuals
possess a certain amount of cognitive resources and that if those resources are
spent processing the incoming sensory input, such as sound, the information
will be processed at a slower rate and remembered less efficiently. The ability
to hear is essential for mental health and cognitive functioning.
The article is specifically based on a research study whose results relate to concerns in the psychology field. The results of the research study exemplify the need of adequate hearing for normal cognitive function. The research findings demonstrate the importance of seeking immediate medical attention when a loss of hearing is apparent. The article is of research method use because it has informed citizens of the severity of the issue and enlightens on the importance for the incorporation of auditory tests in the battery tests clinicians perform on elderly individuals. Graham also includes some of the noted limitations in the research which the researchers intend on finding ways to correct.
Cognitive
functioning is a major concern of those in the Psychology field. With that
being said, the article is based on a concern of interest because, the results express a positive correlation between the ability to
hear properly and ample cognitive performance.
The purpose of this
article is to inform caregivers and older adults of the important research
findings and to pay attention to hearing loss. The author conveys the many
social, mental, and physical consequences for overlooking the loss of hearing
and not seeking immediate medical attention.
I suffer from a condition called
Otosclerosis which has deprived me of adequate hearing. I moderately experience
a lack in the ability to hear pitch; I also suffer from severe deficit in the
clarity of speech and sound. In other words, I struggle most with understanding
what another individual is saying as opposed to initially hearing them talk.
It’s a battle of understanding versus my sense to hear.
If I were to ever further
this research, I would focus on a demographic similar to my own or younger. I believe that children, who obtain a learning
disability, may also suffer from a lack of proper hearing. According to Graham, “when your brain has to
work hard to hear and identify meaningful speech from jumbled sounds, you’ll
have less mental energy for higher cognitive processing”. Therefore, children
who demonstrate difficulties academically may also suffer from a hearing
impairment. I expect there to be a surprising association between the two
disabilities.
