SEEING AND HEARING:

Your Senses Leaving You at Risk for Dementia

While there are many factors that contribute to one's risk of developing dementia, including diet, education, genetics, etc., this report places special focus on the role of both age-related vision and hearing loss as contributing factors to cognitive decline and dementia.

Vision and hearing impairment in seniors is associated with progressive neural degeneration (e.g. there is a reduction in nerves that connect the ears and eyes to the brain). This impact on the neural networks within the brain may lead to significant cerebral atrophy (i.e. brain shrinkage) that contributes to cognitive decline and dementia.