As they age, some people find it harder to understand speech in noisy environments. Now, University at Buffalo researchers have identified the area in the brain, called the insula, that shows significant changes in people who struggle with speech in noise.

The findings, published in the journal Brain and Language, contribute to the growing link between hearing loss and cognitive impairment leading to dementia. Previous research has separately established connections between hearing difficulties and dementia, as well as insula abnormalities and cognitive decline.

The insulae are two complicated structures that interact with the brain’s frontal lobe, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive function. The insulae integrate sensory, emotional and cognitive information.