Hearing aids may do more than improve hearing: for adults with epilepsy and hearing loss, they are linked to a 23% lower risk of developing dementia, according to a new study presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026.
The Research
Researchers from University Hospital Zurich and the University of Liverpool analyzed electronic health records of over 250 million patients from the TriNetX network. They compared adults with hearing loss who used hearing aids to closely matched adults who didn't, looking across the general population and several high-risk groups: epilepsy, stroke, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, migraine, and osteoarthritis.
In the overall hearing-loss population, no significant dementia risk reduction was found. But in adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss, hearing aid users had a 23% lower risk of dementia. Over five years, this translated to an absolute risk reduction of 2.7 percentage points — meaning that for every 37 people fitted with hearing aids, one case of dementia was prevented. The finding held up across all analyses. Lead author Dr. Carolina Ferreira-Atuesta noted, “What surprised us most was how specific the finding was to epilepsy.”
The researchers propose a “cognitive reserve exhaustion” model: epilepsy depletes cognitive reserve, making the added strain of hearing loss a tipping point into dementia. Temporal lobe epilepsy also damages brain regions critical for processing sound, compounding the effects of peripheral hearing loss. Some anti-seizure medications may worsen hearing loss, creating a hidden danger.
Why It Matters
Hearing loss is the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia, but this study shows its impact isn't universal — it's concentrated in those with the least cognitive reserve. For the millions living with epilepsy, routine hearing checks could be a low-cost dementia prevention tool. “Correcting hearing loss in epilepsy patients may preserve depleted cognitive reserves and actively defend against dementia,” the authors state.
What You Can Do
If you or a loved one has epilepsy, ask your neurologist about a hearing test. Treating hearing loss early with hearing aids could protect brain health. For everyone, protecting your cognitive reserve through mental stimulation, exercise, and social engagement remains key.
Source: Neuroscience News
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