Email from HDI High Definition Impressions

August 2025

• COGNITIVE DECLINE •

With the Olympics occurring every 2 years, fans globally cheer on their favorite athletes to win Gold, Silver, or Bronze. From Archery to Wrestling, including traditional sports such as swimming or gymnastics and newer ones like skateboarding, talented competitors show results which reflect years of intense training. While few bring medals home, Peak Performance of all participants takes center stage.

Watching them exercise bodies presents a timely opportunity to emphasize the advantages of exercising our minds. It is wise for all of us to Hear the Facts about how optimal auditory function improves brain health and as Team Players, we aim to help you stay on track.

This excerpt from Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal speaks volumes:

“Although research on the role of hearing loss on dementia risk initiated over 40 years ago, recent surge in the evidence supporting adverse outcomes across health and care among older adults with hearing loss has come to the attention of patients and their families, clinicians, and policy makers. The human and economic expense of caring for the expected growing number of adults reaching or past retirement age demands interdisciplinary collaboration.” ¹

¹ Powell Danielle S., Oh Esther S., Reed Nicholas S., Lin Frank R., Deal Jennifer A.; Hearing Loss and Cognition: What We Know and Where We Need to Go; Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, V. 13 2022, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.769405

Peak Performance can describe many things. From Olympic athletes to jet pilots, or skilled surgeons to craftspeople, optimum capabilities take care of, in addition to tasks at hand, body and mind.

Personally, seeking High(er) Performance implies motivational goals, healthy choices and daily action steps. On a physical level, consider vital human body systems including:

• Cardiovascular

• Muscular

• Respiratory

Specifically regarding…

Cardiovascular performance, are disciplined exercise routines the norm?

Muscular performance, how many reps and sets have been exercised?

Respiratory performance, how is step count tracking and is the trend your friend?

In the sensory realm, our Nervous System collects, transfers and processes neural stimulus which impacts other organ systems via the brain, nerves, spinal cord and sensory — tongue, nose, skin, eyes and ears. For best vision, eyecare experts are the ones to see and to experience the healthy benefits of optimal hearing, auditory experts perform essential roles.

Journeying through life, from younger years to golden ones, our systemic abilities develop, evolve and structurally change. Exhibit A is brain or cognitive function, a fascinating subject of intense interest. By way of computer analogy, our Central Processing Unit (CPU).

Cognitive Function relates to integral mental skills such as perception, memory, language, learning, problem solving and abstract thinking. Certainly, Peak Performance with cognitive function is a worthy goal and for hearing care professionals being subject matter experts on Ears Collect, Brains Connect™... a public health imperative.

Aging brains change and as related to hearing-induced challenges, Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI, may gradually occur.

AD indicates Alzheimer's Disease.

While overall cognitive function may be considered ordinary, family and friends may notice signs and symptoms requiring expert evaluation. Prompt responses are crucial, as MCI is frequently a phase between reduced cognitive function and precursor of more extensive dementia-related symptoms.

Do any of these, indicative of MCI concerns sound familiar?

With Cognitive Decline’s individual unpredictability, healthcare consumers should recognize these signals and understand what…

... auditory deprivation is

lack of consistent sound stimuli and risk of nerve atrophy

... cognitive load is

the limited amount of information short-term memory can hold at one time

... is vital about brain connections’ quantity and quality

help improve cognitive function

... neuroplasticity is

the brain’s ability to form and reorganize neural resources

Brains deprived of consistent sound stimuli risk auditory nerve atrophy and, like daily exercise, better hearing acuity stimulates healthy connections. For this reason, our sound advice helps anchor personalized treatment plans. With Ear to Brain a vital domain, we coordinate with Multidisciplinary Care Teams intently focused on best quality of life outcomes.

Essential clinicians may include:

Don’t delay necessary testing! Especially with our growing population of active seniors, it is important to understand how hearing loss relates to cognitive decline. With timely evaluation, we will identify if you or your loved ones have auditory issues which can increase the risk and rate of cognitive decline. May we see you soon?

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Stilwell, KS 66085

(913) 600-4619

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“Services provided by Shannon and her staff are thorough and comprehensive. Additionally, follow-up has been outstanding. Loved the experience. I’m hearing better because of Focus Hearing.”

— Dennis N.