Research
Publications
Physical Function Impacts Hearing Without Mediation From Systolic Blood Pressure
Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC-SLP, Meisam Arjmandi, PhD, Morteza Hajihosseini, PhD, and colleagues
Neils-Strunjas, J., Arjmandi, M., Hajihosseini, M., Riccardi, N., Vandergriff, C., Leonard, M., Newman-Norlund, S., Nemati, S., Ashjaei, S., Droege, L., Salman, N., Donelle, L., Wang, K., Friedman, D. B., Bonilha, L., & Fridriksson, J. (2026). Physical function impacts hearing without mediation from systolic blood pressure. Scientific Reports, 16, 24697.
In 150 adults aged 50 to 80, every 10-point increase in physical function was associated with a 1.35 dB HL decrease in hearing threshold, independent of systolic blood pressure. Blood pressure rose with age but did not mediate the relationship between physical function and hearing, indicating that a more active lifestyle is associated with better hearing.
Watch the video summary
A short video walking through the study’s key findings.
Awards and Honors
Impact of Childhood Reading Difficulties on Adult Reading and Cognitive-Linguistic Assessment
Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC-SLP, Cara Vandergriff, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, Diane Paul, PhD, CCC-SLP (moderator) & Kate McDoniel
2026 ASHA Convention Meritorious Session. Selected as a Meritorious Session, an honor given to about 6% of the nearly 1,900 oral submissions to the 2026 ASHA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Learning outcomes:
- Identify key developmental processes in childhood reading that influence adult reading comprehension and literacy performance
- Compare common cognitive and language assessments on the extent to which they capture reading-related skills in adults
- Describe strategies for integrating developmental reading histories into adult assessment and intervention planning
1-Hour Seminar • Friday, November 20, 2026 • Indiana Convention Center
The Relationship Between Age-Related Hearing Loss, Phonological Working Memory, and Cognitive Decline
Meisam Arjmandi, PhD, Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC-SLP, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Julius Fridriksson & Leonardo Bonilha
2024 ASHA Convention Visionary Session Award.
Learning outcomes:
- Analyze a proposed model of the interrelationship of hearing, cognition, social isolation and brain health
- Identify the associations between ARHL and cognitive decline through peripheral hearing sensitivity, phonological working memory, and word recognition in noise
- Discuss how the assessment of phonological working memory can be combined with audiometric hearing test and words in noise recognition test for clinical assessment of ARHL and cognitive decline
The Relationship of Hearing Loss, Cognition, Social Isolation, and Brain Imaging
Meisam Arjmandi, PhD, Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC-SLP, Samaneh Nemati, Roger Newman-Norlund & Sarah Newman-Norlund
2023 ASHA Convention Changemaker Session Award.
Learning outcomes:
- Compare models of hearing loss and aging
- Analyze a proposed model of the interrelationship of hearing, cognition, social isolation and brain health
- Plan related research projects
Recent Presentations
Early Reading Challenges Forecast Later-Life Literacy Independent of Global Cognitive Impairment
Vandergriff, C., Neils-Strunjas, J., Karami, M., & Leonard, M. Poster presented at the 2025 Statewide Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Symposium, Pastides Alumni Center, Columbia, SC, October 9, 2025.
Dissociable Discourse Signatures of Reading Ability and General Cognition: Towards Targets for Generative AI Text Transformation
Vandergriff, C., Elston, C., Karami, M., & Neils-Strunjas, J. Poster presented at the Institute for Mind and Brain Conference, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, March 27, 2026.
Ongoing Studies
Increasing Social Connectiveness: An Intergenerational Book Club for Older Adults and College Students
Katherine Leith, PhD, LMSW & Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC/SLP
The purpose of this research and programming is to examine whether an intergenerational book club with in-person meetings and technology will reduce isolation and loneliness of older adults and improve attitudes of college students regarding old age. The intergenerational book club is intended to bridge social divisions among age groups, improve social and cognitive health of older adults, and facilitate positive attitudes of young adults toward old age.
Mindful Walking and Social Intervention to Improve Cognitive Functioning of Older Adults
Jean Neils-Strunjas, PhD, CCC/SLP & Jason Yang, PhD
The purpose of this study is to look at the benefits of exercise and social engagement in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) for older adults. We will determine the benefit of exercise with a social component vs. individual programming in a randomized control study. We hypothesize that a walking program with mindfulness that includes a discussion group will result in lower stress and depression, greater gains in physical activity, cognition, social engagement, indicators of brain health, and adherence than walking alone or no intervention.