Researchers have identified a link between two common, treatable ear conditions and an increased risk of dementia, according to a study published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.
The study, led by clinicians from Columbia University and the University of Utah, found that eardrum perforations and cholesteatoma—an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear—are associated with higher odds of cognitive decline.
Analyzing data from over 363,000 participants in the National Institutes of Health's 'All of Us' Research Program, researchers found that individuals with eardrum perforations faced more than twice the odds of developing dementia compared to those without the condition.
Those with cholesteatoma faced nearly twice the risk as well. However, the study noted that otosclerosis, a condition affecting the middle ear bones, did not show a significant association with dementia.
Treatment may lower risk
Crucially, the study suggests that addressing these conditions through surgery or hearing aids may mitigate the neurological risks.
When the researchers accounted for surgical intervention, the link between cholesteatoma and dementia became statistically insignificant. Similarly, the use of hearing aids reduced the association for both conditions.
'We have known for some time that untreated hearing loss is related to worse cognition in adults,' said Justin S. Golub, MD, MS, the study's corresponding author from Columbia University.
'This study shows that specific forms of surgically addressable hearing loss are also adversely related to cognition. But what is most exciting is that treatment with routine surgery may improve both the hearing and possibly reduce the risk of dementia,' Golub said.
The findings, originally presented at the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting, suggest that restoring hearing through medical or mechanical means plays a role in protecting brain health.
