In the research lab at FAU, neuroscience Ph.D. candidate Claudia Alvarez works at the laptop as medical student Paige DeForest wears a VR headset and Dr. Ali Danesh observes. Photos provided
By Jan Engoren
While enrolled in an artificial intelligence course at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Dennis and Pamela Popaca learned about a study at FAU’s College of Education examining the relationship between hearing, balance and cognitive function in adults ages 55 and older.
Intrigued, the couple — Dennis Popaca, 74, a retired Boca Raton city employee, and Pamela Popaca, 67, a retired principal from Sandpiper Shores Elementary School — decided to enroll.
“We’re both happy to do what we can to increase understanding of issues that affect seniors,” Dennis Popaca says. “We hope they learn something significant to add to the scientific literature. We’d like to encourage seniors who may be reluctant to get involved, to come out and participate.”
Dennis Popaca admits to slight tinnitus and, according to his wife, some mild hearing loss, but says he has no significant balance or cognitive issues. The couple have friends and neighbors living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and are eager to support research that may lead to better treatments or a cure.
A former FAU undergraduate and longtime season-ticket holder for the university’s football team, Dennis Popaca says he was impressed with the lab and its facilities. “My annual Medicare exam is not that elaborate,” he says. “Claudia Alvarez and her staff are very professional and make it an easy and pleasant experience.”
Alvarez, a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate at FAU’s Stiles- Nicholson Brain Institute, is conducting the study in Dr. Ali Danesh’s research lab on hearing, tinnitus and balance.
While cognitive decline is a challenge for many older adults, the reasons behind it remain unclear.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that 42% of Americans over age 55 will eventually develop dementia.
Alvarez’s work comes at a time when hearing loss and dementia are affecting millions of older adults nationwide, underscoring the importance of this research.
Mild hearing loss doubles the risk for dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Society, and the risk increases with further loss. And the Hearing Loss Association of America reports that one in seven people — roughly 50 million Americans — have some degree of hearing loss.
Those numbers highlight the scale of the challenge.
Here in Palm Beach County, the issue is especially relevant due to its senior population: In 2026, more than 334,000 residents age 65 and older live in the county, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The study seeks to understand the relationship between hearing loss, dementia and vestibular issues — systems that support balance, spatial orientation and environmental processing, and often deteriorate with age.
A second study examines the same criteria in those with Parkinson’s disease. Together, the studies highlight how sensory decline can translate into everyday health risks, often correlating with falls, cognitive decline and reduced quality of life.
Alvarez says hearing loss is the leading modifiable risk factor for dementia, and that cognitive decline can often be reversed or stabilized once hearing issues are addressed with hearing aids or other treatments.
She adds that a variety of therapies may support cognition.
“The best is when individuals are engaged and challenged in some capacity,” she says. “If you listen to music and do a puzzle, or listen to music and read a book, it can yield a more positive outcome.”
So can engaging your brain in something it’s not used to and doing things in social situations, Alvarez says.
The study is among the first to examine the balance and auditory systems together, making it a unique contribution to the field — an important step because it will provide researchers and medical providers with a better understanding of the variability currently seen in the presentation of cognitive decline.
“Our goal is to investigate how impairments in hearing and balance interact to shape spatial cognitive deficits,” Alvarez says.
By studying these systems together, she hopes to identify sensitive multisensory markers of early cognitive decline and strengthen screening approaches for older adults.
Dennis and Pamela Popaca enjoy themselves at an Owls football game. The retired couple are participants in a cognitive function study Alvarez is conducting. Photos providedParticipants complete a one‑time, 90‑minute on‑site visit and receive free access to their study reports, which include hearing, balance and cognitive screenings. The first 100 participants also receive a $50 gift card.
To date, Alvarez has enrolled 50 participants and is seeking another 50. Exclusions include neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, vestibular diseases such as Ménière’s, and a history of seizures within the past six to 12 months.
Recent research has also indicated that staying socially connected as you age is an important step in aging well. Alvarez says that everyday habits play a role in maintaining our cognitive health.
“Engage with your environment,” she says. “It’s a busy and loud world, but be present and engage with your senses. The more we stay present in our environment with the things we enjoy, the better it is for our cognitive and overall health. Being present keeps you present.”
For participants, that mission feels personal. The Popacas say they’re glad they enrolled — to support research that may help their generation stay sharper, steadier, more connected and have more time to enjoy the FAU Owls’ victories.
For more information or to sign up for the study, contact Alvarez at 954-756-0510 or at claudiaalvar2021@fau.edu.
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.
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