PhD defence S.C. (Stephanie) Rigters

Age-related hearing loss is a multifactorial disease and associated with age, gender, quality of brain white matter, diabetes mellitus, a higher blood pressure, a higher BMI, smoking, alcohol intake and educational level. In this thesis, three hypotheses on the relation between hearing loss and brain quality are discussed; hearing loss leads to changes in the brain (sensory-deprivation hypothesis), changes in the brain lead to hearing loss (central component hypothesis), or mutual risk factors cause both hearing loss and brain changes (common-cause hypothesis).

The public defence will take place at the Prof. Andries Queridoroom, 3rd floor Education Center, Erasmus MC. The ceremony will begin exactly at 15.30 PM. In light of the solemn nature of the ceremony, we recommend that you do not take children under the age of 6 to the first part of the ceremony.