A Change in Your Voice Could Signal Higher Dementia Risk, Large Study Finds
In a study of more than 833,000 adults over 50, voice disorders — shifts in pitch, volume or clarity — were associated with a substantially higher likelihood of later cognitive impairment, researchers at Drexel University report.
New research suggests that voice disorders — changes in vocal pitch, volume or clarity — could indicate a higher probability of developing dementia or cognitive impairment later in life.
The study, conducted by a team at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia and published in the Journal of Voice, examined 833,417 participants aged 50 and older. Researchers looked at the connection between a voice disorder, hearing loss, or both, and the chance of developing cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, beginning a year after the voice and hearing diagnoses.
What the researchers found
The associations were substantial. Participants with a voice disorder but no hearing loss had a 58% increased likelihood of developing dementia or cognitive issues in the future, while participants with both a voice disorder and hearing loss had a 104% higher likelihood — roughly double. Across all participants with voice disorders, with or without hearing loss, there was a 29% increased probability of developing dementia or cognitive impairment; those with only hearing loss had a 27% greater risk.
“We found the strongest link with dementia among patients experiencing a voice disorder and hearing loss,” said Robert Sataloff, a professor and chair at the Drexel University College of Medicine. “Importantly, we found that those with a voice disorder and no hearing loss were at greater risk than patients who experience hearing loss only.”
Voice disorders include conditions such as laryngitis, vocal cord paralysis, vocal cord lesions and spasmodic dysphonia (laryngeal dystonia), according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The scale of the dataset — more than 833,000 adults — allowed the researchers to compare people with voice disorders alone, hearing loss alone, and both conditions together, a comparison the team said shaped their conclusions about how the risks may compound.
Why a voice problem might matter to the brain
The researchers believe part of the connection may be social. Hearing loss and trouble speaking can discourage people from socializing, and studies have shown that social engagement stimulates the brain and can help ward off dementia. People who experience pain or discomfort when talking or singing might “participate less often in brain-supporting social or other engaging activities,” Sataloff noted. Seeking treatment for a voice disorder, the researchers say, could therefore benefit a patient’s brain as well as their voice.
The findings come with important caveats. An association is not proof of cause, and having a voice disorder does not mean cognitive impairment is certain; vocal issues alone do not establish the beginning of a decline in brain function or the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. But for adults over 50, the study suggests that persistent changes in the voice are worth raising with a doctor — both for what they might mean today, and for what they could signal about the years ahead.
Reporting based on coverage by Fox News Health of the study published in the Journal of Voice.