Imola MacPhee, a clinical audiologist and PhD student in Carleton University's Department of Cognitive Science (Photo by Brenna Mackay)
Hearing loss is a common yet often overlooked aspect of aging, with statistics suggesting that most individuals over 50 and nearly all individuals over 70 will experience some degree of hearing impairment.
This issue is not limited to audibility but extends to cognitive function, with hearing loss being one of the highest risk factors for developing dementia.
Imola MacPhee, a clinical audiologist and PhD student in Carleton University's Department of Cognitive Science, is using brain imaging to reveal how hearing loss affects cognition, particularly in aging adults.
"We want to get to the bottom of how the brain changes when there is hearing loss and how you can decrease your risk of cognitive decline," MacPhee says.
