{"id":871425,"date":"2026-10-05T09:38:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/871425\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T09:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:38:17","slug":"subtle-change-in-how-you-speak-could-be-early-sign-of-dementia-risk-new-research-suggests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/871425\/","title":{"rendered":"Subtle change in how you speak could be early sign of dementia risk, new research suggests"},"content":{"rendered":"

New research suggests that voice disorders, including shifts in vocal pitch, volume or clarity, could indicate a higher probability of developing dementia or cognitive impairment in the future.<\/p>\n

A study involving 833,417 participants aged 50 and older examined the connection between a voice disorder, hearing loss,<\/a> or both with the chance of developing cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease, beginning a year after the voice disorder and hearing loss diagnoses.<\/p>\n

The findings from the study, conducted by a team at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, were published in the Journal of Voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Results showed that participants with a voice disorder but no hearing loss had a 58% increased likelihood of developing dementia or cognitive issues in the future \u2014 whereas participants with a voice disorder and hearing loss had a 104% chance.<\/p>\n

For all participants with voice disorders, with or without hearing loss, there was a 29% increased probability of developing dementia or cognitive impairment, whereas those with only hearing loss had a 27% greater risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found the strongest link with dementia among patients experiencing a voice disorder and hearing loss,\u201d said Robert Sataloff, a professor and chair at the Drexel University College of Medicine, Science Alert<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

\"AVoice disorders, like changes in pitch or volume, could signal a higher risk of dementia, new research reveals. Microgen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

\u201cImportantly, we found that those with a voice disorder and no hearing loss were at greater risk than patients who experience hearing loss only,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Examples of voice disorders include laryngitis, vocal cord paralysis, vocal cord lesions and spasmodic dysphonia (laryngeal dystonia), among others, according to the Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the possible correlation between vocal issues and dementia, researchers<\/a> noted that seeking treatment for a voice disorder could also benefit a patient\u2019s brain.<\/p>\n

Hearing loss and trouble speaking could discourage individuals from socializing with others, and studies have shown that social engagement<\/a> can stimulate the brain and play a role in warding off dementia.<\/p>\n

\"AnThose with voice issues alone faced a 58% higher risk, but it jumped to 104% with added hearing loss. Art_Photo \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Sataloff said that it\u2019s \u201conly natural\u201d for voice disorders and hearing loss to be connected to cognitive impairment.<\/p>\n

Those who experience pain or discomfort when talking or singing might \u201cparticipate less often in brain-supporting social or other engaging activities,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Despite the study\u2019s findings, having a voice disorder <\/a>doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that future cognitive impairment is absolutely certain.<\/p>\n

Additionally, it\u2019s not guaranteed that vocal issues indicate the beginning of a decline in brain function or the onset of dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New research suggests that voice disorders, including shifts in vocal pitch, volume or clarity, could indicate a higher…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":871426,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1103,168714,97,149,5599],"class_list":["post-871425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-dementia","tag-elderly-care","tag-health","tag-lifestyle","tag-public-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=871425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/871426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=871425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=871425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=871425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}