Oticon will introduce the HearingFitness App in 2018 for use in conjunction with Opn hearing aids.

Hearing Loss & Dementia:

Untreated hearing loss has long been associated with cognitive decline. A recent review published in The Lanceton dementia prevention, intervention, and care concluded that, from midlife, hearing loss is the biggest risk factor in later development of dementia.

“A growing body of evidence is indicating that the social isolation brought on by untreated hearing loss is a big risk factor for dementia and that hearing aids may well help minimize that impact,” said Don Schum, PhD, vice president of audiology for Oticon, Inc. “The HearingFitness App will encourage routine use of hearing aids and empower users with the feedback they need to take charge of their long-term health and well being through healthy hearing habits today.”

A “Brain First” Approach:

For more than 20 years, Oticon researchers at the Eriksholm Research Centre have focused on the development of BrainHearing™ technologies that are designed to help the brain make sense of sound so that people with a hearing impairment can maintain the ability and mental energy to engage socially. This “brain first” approach is said to help drive the success of the HearingFitness App, according to the company. Oticon Opn™ hearing aids with BrainHearing will be designed to analyze sound environments, measure and track hearing aid use, and export recorded data to the Oticon HearingFitness App for further analysis. By providing actual use and relevant user feedback, the app will help people to optimize use of their hearing aids.

The CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the consumer Technology Association (CTA) ™, the producer of CES 2018. Oticon will exhibit at the upcoming CES 2018 from January 9-12 in Las Vegas. The Oticon HearingFitness App will be among the consumer electronics showcased in a gallery of 2018 award honorees on the conference floor.

Source: Oticon
Image: Oticon