Voice Changes Are A ‘Strong’ Early Dementia Sign

You probably already know that dementia is linked to signs like memory loss and trouble planning ahead. But lesser-known symptoms such as changes in walking style, increasing nightmares, and even shifts in your sense of smell have been linked to the condition too.

And now, researchers think voice changes might herald a higher risk of developing dementia; it could even “represent a stronger early biomarker than hearing loss alone”.

This comes after a 2020 Lancet Commission into dementia deemed hearing loss the biggest modifiable dementia risk worldwide.

Researchers followed the health data of 833,417 people with voice disorders and/or hearing loss at least a year after they first presented with the issue.

Patients were split into four groups:

• Those with both a voice disorder and hearing loss,
• Those with a voice disorder but no hearing loss,
• Those with hearing loss but no voice disorder,
• A control, with neither condition.

The paper, published in the Journal of Voice, found that people with a voice disorder and no hearing loss seemed to be 58% more likely to develop dementia than those without one.

This risk was higher than that seen among those with hearing loss but no voice disorder.

Speaking to Drexel News, the University of Drexels’ Dr Robert Sataloff, who was the lead author of this study, said: “Our work shows that voice disorders may be an earlier and stronger sign of cognitive decline than hearing loss alone”.

Meanwhile, “We found the strongest link with dementia among patients experiencing a voice disorder and hearing loss; but importantly, we found that those with a voice disorder and no hearing loss were at greater risk than patients who experience hearing loss only.

“It may be valuable for many of these patients to talk with an otolaryngologist who can arrange a cognitive assessment to help patients develop an appropriate care plan,” he continued.

Voice issues can manifest as “worsening voice quality – in pitch, clarity, volume, reduced vocal range or other voice disorders”.

These are sometimes called “dysphonia” and are believed to affect about 7.5% of the UK population.

Dr Sataloff said that “If you have a voice disorder that impacts how your voice sounds or if it’s painful when you attempt to talk or sing, it’s only natural to participate less often in brain-supporting social or other engaging activities”.

We know that maintaining an active social life has been linked to lower dementia risk.

He added, “We already see this in patients with Parkinson’s disease, in which voice disorders often precede other physical signs of the disease”.

More research is needed to work out the kinds of voice disorders that might be especially highly-linked to dementia.