In this episode, two presenters from the upcoming ASHA 2021 Convention Research Symposium on Hearing discuss how hearing loss connects to dementia and depression.

Columbia University psychiatry researcher Bret Rutherford says depression is one of the main drivers of disability in older adults, linking the condition to cognitive decline, dementia, and hearing loss. He explains what role hearing health might play in preventative care.

Then, Esther Oh, co-director of Johns Hopkins’ Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center, describes how hearing loss can compound symptoms like agitation.