Hearing Impairment as a Risk Factor for Dementia in Older Adults

This Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) project is part of a larger project on potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia in a life course perspective, with an overarching aim to improve prevention of dementia and thereby potentially relieve patient and caregiver distress and decrease societal load. The present PhD project will concentrate on confirming knowledge of HI as an independent risk factor for dementia and exploring potentially causative factors to explain this relationship.

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Key information

Conditions

Dementia Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Ear Diseases Hearing Disorders Hearing Loss Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms

Age range

70 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Norwegian National Advisory Unit of Ageing and Health

Tønsberg, Norway

About this study

Despite a huge increase in the knowledge about disease mechanisms in various types of dementia in recent years, no curative treatment exists at present. Results from research on disease-modifying agents have been disappointing. This has led to an increased interest in other ways to reduce the prevalence of dementia. A recent report estimated that up to one third of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by interventions directed at the most common risk factors. In the "Lancet commission on dementia prevention, treatment, and care", hearing impairment (HI) was identified as the potentially most important modifiable risk factor. Even though HI is considered an important modifiable risk factor, the evidence regarding the association between HI and dementia risk is still limited.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Living in designated area

Exclusion criteria

None

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Rate of dementia diagnosis in the HUNT 70+ study

Time frame: 2017-2019

Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5).
Rate of Minimal Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the HUNT 70+ study

Time frame: 2017-2019

Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria DSM-5.
Rate of cognitive impairment defined as age- and education-adjusted thresholds on cognitive assessments scales

Time frame: 2017-2019

The participants have been assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale and the ten-word recall test

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Norwegian Centre for Ageing and Health

Other

Collaborators

Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health
University College London Hospitals
University of Oslo

Registry information

Official study title

Modifiable Risk Factors and Dementia - A Study Examining the Association Between Hearing Impairment in Mid-life and Cognitive Impairment in the HUNT4 70+ Study

Important dates

Study start: 2019
Primary completion: 2020
Study completion: 2020
First posted: Feb 25, 2020
Registry last updated: Sep 14, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed