The Total Hearing Care Difference

Brain Changes With Hearing Loss: Learn How Hearing Aids Can Change It Back

• Dr. Jill Copley • Episode 24

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What Are Common Brain Changes That Occur With Hearing Loss?

Your eyes shouldn’t be doing your ears’ job. When hearing slips, the brain scrambles to fill the gaps: the visual cortex starts tapping the auditory cortex, and the frontal lobe burns extra energy to keep up with conversation. We sit down with Dr. Jill Copley to unpack the science of cortical reorganization, why even mild hearing loss raises mental effort, and how the right treatment can bring listening back in line.

We break down the core brain regions—auditory, visual, and frontal cortex—and translate lab results into real-life signs you’ve probably felt: needing to concentrate harder, missing punchlines in noisy rooms, and feeling wiped out after social events. Then we walk through compelling studies showing what happens after six months of consistent hearing aid use: the auditory cortex “comes back online,” visual areas stop hijacking auditory pathways, and the frontal lobe relaxes. That shift doesn’t just look better on brain scans; it feels like easier, more relaxed conversations and clearer focus throughout the day.

Looking ahead, we explore the big questions that need answers: Do these benefits hold for moderate to severe losses? Where is the threshold for reversal? How do cochlear implants reshape the brain for those with profound loss? Along the way, we share practical takeaways—why early screening matters, how quality fittings and real-ear verification boost outcomes, and how consistent device use supports neuroplasticity. If you’ve delayed care or know someone “getting by,” this is your nudge to act before listening gets harder than it has to be.

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SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference, where we help you experience life through better hearing. Hosted by the Experts of Total Hearing Care, a leading private audiology practice serving the DFW Metroplex, we are here to provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus, and the latest advancements in audiology. Transform your life through better hearing. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_00:

When the ears stop sending clear signals, the brain doesn't just adapt, it reorganizes itself in surprising ways. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer back in the studio with Dr. Joe Copley. Dr. Copley, how's it going today?

SPEAKER_01:

Going really well. Thank you, Sophia.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, now, Dr. Copley, I am so excited to discuss this with you today. Now, can you walk us through the question? What are common brain changes that occur with hearing loss?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, this is um such an exciting route of research, and I've really enjoyed learning about it over the past few years. Um, I want to start with some definitions of the brain. This kind of research gets a little complex, and I want to just say that I'm generalizing a lot and I'm trying to simplify it as well. So if there are people out there listening to this that really know about the brain, um, just understand that I'm I'm trying to do that for all the audience. But let me start with a few definitions for the brain. Um, the first one is called the auditory cortex, and just like that sounds, the auditory cortex is the part of uh the brain tissue that actually is um processing most of the auditory information before it sends it to the um central part of the brain that actually puts all information together. The other part I'll be talking about today is the visual cortex, and like that sounds that takes any information from your visual system and processes it before it takes it to your your central system. And then the other part I'm gonna be talking about is the uh frontal lobe, the frontal cortex. The frontal cortex is that higher level system that is putting all your information together and it is letting you understand what's going on, comprehend, uh process speech, and and doing high higher level kind of um thought processes. So starting there. Now, one of the main things um some of the studies have shown is that when you have some hearing loss, the visual system starts to take over. And we kind of already knew this, but now we can show it in studies how the visual system is actually taking over. What this study showed, it took people with hearing loss that were kind of mild to moderate hearing losses and used electrodes, and they would they would show them a visual signal and then they'd see where does the brain respond. And they were finding the brain, of course, responds in the visual cortex, but it was also responding in the auditory cortex. So the auditory cortex was not working as well as it should have. And so what happened is the visual system is actually using that auditory cortex itself for its own needs. And we know that the brain can change. This is called cross-modality. We know the brain can change. Um, we've seen it in other studies having to do with things like traumatic brain injury, or if somebody has um epilepsy and has to have a brain surgery, other parts of their brain will start to do the functions that are needed for daily life. And so we know this can happen, but what these studies have shown is they've shown us outright, yes, the visual system or the visual cortex is starting to impact the auditory cortex as well. So one of the other things they found is that the frontal lobe cortex would really light up. When you look at the studies in the pictures, it just shows these bright lights on it. And that's why I say light up. Um, but it was having to basically by lighting up like that, it was showing that that frontal cortex is having to work harder than it really should have been for just listening or seeing just normally. And so um that also occurred. Now, the interesting thing about this is that they did another study later where after they did that part, they also put um had people use hearing aids for six months. And then they came back in and retested them again. And what they found was one, the auditory system was responding normally. The visual cortex was not trying to use the auditory system for vision. And also that frontal lobe response, um, that frontal cortex response was not as significant. And so it wasn't working as hard. So that indicates the brain wasn't having to work as hard to hear the signals anymore. And so that was exciting for us to see that yes, hearing instruments are working. They are fundamentally helping change the physiology of the brain back to where it should be in a normal state, where the auditory cortex is doing its job and the visual cortex is doing its job, and the frontal cortex is not being as overworked as if you have mild to moderate hearing loss.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow, what a revolutionary change. So, Dr. Copley, in your opinion, where do you see the research going from here?

SPEAKER_01:

One of the things that's really required with research is that we need to look at what happens with people who have um more moderate to severe hearing losses. Is the same thing occurring for them? You know, we kind of assume so, but we don't actually have the research on that. How much um how much hearing loss is is will it occur with all hearing losses, or is there a point at which it stops? Um we also need to look at larger numbers of people in studies, and that's always one of the issues you'll see with all study, almost all studies, is we need more people to look at this. And so we need to see how that cross-modal um changes are working in people with all hearing losses, and then we need to see do hearing aids actually help um bring that back for all people with all hearing losses? Or the other option is cochlear implant. Once you get into severe to profound hearing loss, how does a cochlear implant work? And there are some studies that show that um cortical reorganization occurs as well with cochlear implants. But that those are the main things that we need. Um, on a future podcast, we'll talk a little bit more about some of the brain changes and um other lines of research that are going into this to kind of see what's going on with hearing loss and brain changes.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. Now, Dr. Copley, that was some great information that you gave us today. Thank you for breaking down how closely connected hearing and brain health really are. We appreciate your insight and we'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much. I appreciate being here.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing Care Difference. If you're in the DFW Metroplex and ready to take the next step toward better hearing, call 469-809-4487 to book an appointment. Or visit totalhearingcare dot com because when you hear better, you live better. See you next time.