Physician Resources
A Personal Message from Dr. Nancy Duncan, Founder of Duncan Hearing Healthcare
If you have a patient that is experiencing hearing challenges, tinnitus concerns or balance issues, then this page shares the resources and tools that you need to assist them.
However, if you cannot find what you need or if you need any further help, then please know that our team are always here for you at (508) 674-3334
Thank you for all you do.
Articles: The Connection Between Untreated Hearing Loss and Dementia
In a study that tracked 639 adults for nearly 12 years, Johns Hopkins expert Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D, and his colleagues found that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk. Moderate loss tripled risk, and people with a severe hearing impairment were five times more likely to develop dementia.
Would You Like to Refer a Patient? Simply Complete This Form
If you have a patient that requires further help, then you can refer them by using this simple form. We’ll be able to help them to explore their insurance benefits and comprehensively test their hearing before sharing our reccomendations with them.
Tinnitus Triage Guidelines
Why We Incorporate Cognitive Screenings as Part of Our Audiological Evaluation
Cognition-Hearing Interrelationship
Increasing evidence has linked age-related hearing loss with more rapid progression of cognitive decline and incidental dementia. Recent literature indicates that individuals with hearing loss have a 55% greater risk of developing dementia as compared to those with normal hearing, and it increases linearly with the severity of hearing loss. Long-term hearing deprivation of auditory inputs can impact cognitive performance by decreasing the quality of communication, leading to social isolation and depression which may facilitate dementia. And from the efferent perspective, limited cognitive skills may reduce the cognitive resources available for auditory perception, increasing the effects of hearing loss.
Auditory Rehabilitation
Cognitive factors such as attention, listening effort, memory, multi-sensory integration and prediction, play a role in helping code sounds more easily, and compensate for poorly resolved bottom up sensory cues that may be due to hearing in noise or hearing loss. As our patient’s hearing loss progresses and their cognitive ability declines, a stronger onus is placed on our efferent nervous system to help with language understanding.
This influences the particular hearing devices we fit and how we fit them. Processing speed, the amount of compression, and other factors that alter the signal become important considerations, especially for our patients with low working memory capacity. Additionally, when there is a degree of cognitive impairment present, we need to develop aural rehabilitation strategies for the patient and provide support that goes beyond fitting hearing devices.
How We Conduct Cognitive Screenings
For the cognitive portion of our audiological evaluation, we use the Cognivue Thrive device, which is the only computerized cognitive assessment device based on FDA-cleared technology used by neurologists and other physicians for cognitive evaluation. The Cognivue Thrive device utilizes adaptive psychophysics to eliminate bias and adapt to the patients motor and vision acuity abilities. It is used for cognition screening and is not a diagnostic tool. You can learn more about the Cognivue Thrive device at www.cognivue.com/physician.
Would You Like to Schedule a Zoom Meeting With Our Team of Experts?
If you would like help with a specific patient or would like us to run a workshop to help you and your staff better understand how we can support patients with tinnitus challenges, sudden hearing loss concerns or any form of hearing help, then we’re here to help. We can schedule a Zoom call at a convenient time around your busy schedule.
Hearing Health Resources
Our Experts Answer The Most Common Questions
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: The Importance of Timely Treatment
Sudden changes in hearing can be very upsetting and unsettling for a person. These changes can be temporary and caused by something as benign as cerumen impaction or otitis media. Other times it can be symptomatic of an underlying severe issue, including head trauma,...
How to Help Your Patients with Tinnitus Challenges
One of the most frustrating things for any healthcare professional is knowing your patient is suffering and not being able to do anything to “fix” their problem. It’s in your nature to want to help improve their situation. One symptom that falls into this category is...
What Happens at a Pediatric Hearing Test?
Are you a parent of a child who has difficulty hearing what you say to them? Do they misinterpret what is being said to them? Do they struggle in school, or do their teachers feel they do not follow instructions? Is their language delayed? Maybe your child has...