🎙️ We’re back with the twenty first episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this episode, Bas explores a surprising and often overlooked question: is hearing loss part of the Parkinson’s disease phenotype?

Discussing a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Movement Disorders, he highlights compelling evidence that hearing impairment is common in Parkinson’s — affecting nearly 80% of patients across pooled studies. High-frequency hearing loss was particularly prevalent, and abnormalities in central auditory processing suggest this is not simply age-related decline, but potentially linked to Parkinson’s-specific brain changes.

Bas reflects on why this matters clinically, including the association between hearing loss, cognitive decline, and social isolation. The key message: hearing impairment is common, under-recognised, and should not be dismissed as “just ageing.”

An important episode that broadens our understanding of the non-motor and sensory features of Parkinson’s disease.

👉 You can read the full article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41618507/

And don’t forget, you can listen here:

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/34ec09bc-c8b8-4a28-a12b-ca8aae3edd57/parkinson-weekly?ref=dm_sh_BpcE171Aj6Bvc6jQNKL90yl8o

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5FVqV671ESQ5VxbncsIxIS?si=a29cb8d5e72640de

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/parkinson-weekly/id1836115672

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at parkinsonweekly@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you.