A randomized feasibility pilot trial of hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Results from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Pilot Study

Jennifer A Deal; Marilyn S Albert; Michelle Arnold; Shrikant I Bangdiwala; Theresa Chisolm; Sonia Davis; Ann Eddins; Nancy W Glynn; Adele M Goman; Melissa Minotti; Thomas Mosley; George W Rebok; Nicholas Reed; Elizabeth Rodgers; Victoria Sanchez; A Richey Sharrett; Josef Coresh; Frank R Lin

doi:10.1016/j.trci.2017.06.003

A randomized feasibility pilot trial of hearing treatment for reducing cognitive decline: Results from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Pilot Study

Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2017 Jun 21;3(3):410-415. doi: 10.1016/j.trci.2017.06.003. eCollection 2017 Sep.

Authors

Jennifer A Deal^{1

2}, Marilyn S Albert³, Michelle Arnold⁴, Shrikant I Bangdiwala⁵, Theresa Chisolm⁴, Sonia Davis⁵, Ann Eddins⁴, Nancy W Glynn⁶, Adele M Goman², Melissa Minotti⁷, Thomas Mosley⁸, George W Rebok^{9

10}, Nicholas Reed², Elizabeth Rodgers⁶, Victoria Sanchez⁴, A Richey Sharrett¹, Josef Coresh^{1

7

11}, Frank R Lin^{1

2

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
⁵ Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
⁷ George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hagerstown, MD, USA.
⁸ Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
⁹ Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹⁰ Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
¹¹ Department of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss (HL) is prevalent and independently related to cognitive decline and dementia. There has never been a randomized trial to test if HL treatment could reduce cognitive decline in older adults.

Methods: A 40-person (aged 70-84 years) pilot study in Washington County, MD, was conducted. Participants were randomized 1:1 to a best practices hearing or successful aging intervention and followed for 6 months. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02412254.

Results: The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Pilot (ACHIEVE-P) Study demonstrated feasibility in recruitment, retention, and implementation of interventions with no treatment-related adverse events. A clear efficacy signal of the hearing intervention was observed in perceived hearing handicap (mean of 0.11 to -1.29 standard deviation [SD] units; lower scores better) and memory (mean of -0.10 SD to 0.38 SD).

Discussion: ACHIEVE-P sets the stage for the full-scale ACHIEVE trial (N = 850, recruitment beginning November 2017), the first randomized trial to determine efficacy of a best practices hearing (vs. successful aging) intervention on reducing cognitive decline in older adults with HL.

Keywords: Clinical trials; Cognition; Dementia; Epidemiology; Hearing; Longitudinal study; Memory; Presbycusis.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02412254

Abstract

Associated data

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