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A holistic view of our experience would suggest that everything in our body is connected – mentally and physically. If our bodies are in physical pain, this definitely influences our mental health. Conversely, people who suffer from mental health may also find physical embodiments of their states of mind.
Though it is invisible, our sense of hearing plays a huge role in our overall health and well-being. This extends also to our mood. A new study has revealed a link between our mood and our hearing health.
Study: A Link between Dopamine and Hearing Health
Christine Porfors, an associate professor at Washing State University in Vancouver, has headed up a study that links at a link between dopamine and hearing health. Assisted by David Perkel of the University of Washington, the researchers are funded by the National Institutes of Health to explore the link between these two seemingly disparate processes.
To understand the study, let’s take a look at the different elements. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in your brain, activated by the hypothalamus. Dopamine is a key part in our ability to motivate ourselves and also helps to regulate different processes such as sleep and behavior to name a few. Dopamine is also responsible for cognition.
How does dopamine find a link with our sense of hearing? Though most people will point to the ears as the central location of hearing, in reality they are just one small part. Our ears consist of three main parts, all of which process sound waves on their way to our brains. First, sound waves are picked up by the outer ear. Then, sound waves move through the middle ear, where they are amplified by the ear drum and turned into vibrations. These vibrations then travel to the inner ear, where they are transcribed into neural signals by inner ear hair cells. These neural signals are then sent to the brain, where they are processed as sounds we recognize.
A 2006 French study, researched looked at the effect that “the dopamine transporter, a protein responsible for transporting dopamine to nerve synopses, has on the auditory nerve.” They found that “dopamine is essential in maintaining the health of auditory nerve neurons and the way they respond to sound stimulation.”
Building upon this research, Porfors and Perkel “suspect that dopamine may alter the way neurons respond to particular sounds or voices.”
So How Does This Affect Your Mood?
Because hearing happens in the brain, people who live with untreated hearing loss –depending on the type of hearing loss – may experience a number of consequences that are also connected to cognitive function. Indeed, this can include how your mood is affected and regulated by the natural processes of the brain. At the heart of the matter, though, is the brain’s struggle to make sense of unclear sound signals. As the brain struggles to fill in the gaps of muffled sounds and distorted speech, it may grow tired.
In terms of regulating your natural levels of dopamine, researchers encourage us to get 30 minutes of exercise each day and adhere to a healthy diet that avoids sugars, fats, and cholesterol.
Treating Hearing Loss
Hearing aids improve brain function, according to a study by Jamie Desjardins, PhD, assistant professor in the speech-language pathology program at the University of Texas at El Paso. For people with hearing loss, the use of hearing aids drastically increased cognitive function, the study showed.
“Think about somebody who has hearing loss and is still working and they’re not wearing hearing aids,” says Dr. Desjardins. “They are spending so much of their brainpower just trying to focus on listening. They may not be able to perform their job as well. Or if they can, they’re exhausted because they are working so much harder. They are more tired at the end of the day, because it’s a lot more taxing. It affects their quality of life.”
Dr. Desjardins brought together people in their 50s and 60s who experienced bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who had not previously used hearing aids. Participants were given cognitive tests, which measured their memory, selective attention, and processing speed abilities prior to and after using hearing aids.
After two weeks of hearing aid use, participants showed an increase in scores for recalling words, and that their processing speed to the correct answer was much faster. Dr. Desjardins also found that by the end of the study, participants had improved on their cognitive function from the beginning of the study.
Contact Us at New Leaf Hearing Clinic
There’s no reason to live with untreated hearing loss. Protect your brain function and enhance your mood by seeking treatment for hearing loss. To schedule a consultation and comprehensive hearing test, contact us at New Leaf Hearing Clinic.