New research published in Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck SurgeryA peer-reviewed official publication from the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) found that two common and treatable causes of conductive hearing loss, eardrum perforation and cholesteatoma (a type of abnormal skin growth in the middle ear), are associated with higher rates of dementia. Notably, the study also found that treatment, whether surgery or hearing aids, was associated with a reduction in that high risk.
The findings, first presented at the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting and OTO EXPO in Indianapolis, Indiana, add to the body of evidence linking hearing loss and cognitive decline and raise an important question: If the underlying cause of hearing loss is treatable, could that treatment help protect the brain?
It has long been known that untreated hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline in adults. This study shows that certain surgically treatable forms of hearing loss are also negatively associated with cognition. But most interestingly, regular surgical treatment may improve hearing and reduce the risk of dementia. ”
Justin S. Golub, MD, MS, corresponding author of the paper, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Utah analyzed data from more than 363,000 participants in the All of Us Research Program, a large and diverse national health dataset sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. They found that participants with a perforated eardrum were more than twice as likely to develop dementia, and those with cholesteatoma were almost twice as likely to develop dementia. The study found no significant association between otosclerosis, a condition that affects the bones of the middle ear, and dementia.
Importantly, the association between cholesteatoma and dementia was no longer significant when surgical treatment was considered in the analysis. Treatment with hearing aids also reduced the association between both symptoms, suggesting that restoration of hearing through surgery or devices may play a meaningful role in reducing dementia risk.
sauce:
American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Reference magazines:
Powell SD, others. (2026). In the All of Us research program, the condition of conductive hearing loss is associated with dementia. Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. DOI: 10.1002/ohn.70152. https://aao-hnsfjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ohn.70152
