Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline
Oct 23, 2025
Amy Kemp, assistant professor in The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Washington State University College of Medicine, leads the BRAIN FIT initiative. The initiative -- short for Building a Repository for Aging, Interventions, and Neurocognitive Function: Factors that Impact Cognitive Trajectories -- brings free screenings and education to rural communities across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Hearing loss can accelerate cognitive decline by diverting the brain’s resources away from memory and thinking while also reducing social engagement. The project aims to raise awareness of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias while training students and collecting data to advance research on healthy aging.
Amy Kemp, assistant professor in The Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Washington State University College of Medicine, leads the BRAIN FIT initiative. The initiative -- short for Building a Repository for Aging, Interventions, and Neurocognitive Function: Factors that Impact Cognitive Trajectories -- brings free screenings and education to rural communities across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Hearing loss can accelerate cognitive decline by diverting the brain’s resources away from memory and thinking while also reducing social engagement. The project aims to raise awareness of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias while training students and collecting data to advance research on healthy aging.