Your Ears Called; Your Brain Wants A Word feat. Madison Levine, BC - HIS

Your brain doesn’t just benefit from hearing well—it depends on it. We sit down with Madison Levine of Levine Hearing to unpack the ear brain connection, the growing body of research linking untreated hearing loss to increased dementia risk, and the practical ways clinics and families can respond without fear or stigma. This is a story about healthy aging, where hearing care sits alongside sleep, movement, and nutrition as a core part of protecting cognition and staying engaged with the people you love.

We start with the data: objective audiometric measures, not self report, show elevated dementia risk with untreated loss. From there, we translate science into everyday decisions. Madison shares a PR first education model that favors community talks, local media, and clear waiting room content over hard selling. Inside the clinic, we walk through best practices testing, family centered counseling, and an opt in cognitive screener (Cognivue) designed to inform—not alarm—patients. Pair that with outcome tools like APHAB and time based follow ups, and you can visualize improvements in noisy settings while tracking cognitive trends that matter to patients and caregivers.

Stigma still looms large, but stories change minds. Hearing aids aren’t a concession to aging; they’re modern tools that restore connection, reduce isolation, and free up cognitive resources for the parts of life that make us human. We also dig into prevention, from normalizing earplugs at concerts to reframing hearing as a vital sign. Finally, we look ahead to a unifying movement: ear brain connection as a shared banner for clinicians, patients, and the wider medical community. With a simple, consistent message, we can move hearing care into the mainstream of brain health.

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