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^{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.

PMID: 29067347
PMCID: PMC5651440
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

Jennifer A Deal et al. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2017.

. 2017 Jun 21;3(3):410-415.

doi: 10.1016/j.trci.2017.06.003. eCollection 2017 Sep.

Authors

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.

PMID: 29067347
PMCID: PMC5651440
DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2017.06.003

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.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
Participant eligibility, randomization and follow-up, ACHIEVE-Pilot Study, Washington County, MD, N = 40. ^∗Eligible but not enrolled because recruitment targets had been reached. ^†Unrelated to study intervention. Abbreviation: ACHIEVE, Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Lin F.R., Yaffe K., Xia J., Xue Q.L., Harris T.B., Purchase-Helzner E. Hearing loss and cognitive decline in older adults. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173:293–299. - PMC - PubMed
1. Deal J.A., Sharrett A.R., Albert M.S., Coresh J., Mosley T.H., Knopman D. Hearing impairment and cognitive decline: a pilot study conducted within the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2015;181:680–690. - PMC - PubMed
1. Lin F.R., Metter E.J., O'Brien R.J., Resnick S.M., Zonderman A.B., Ferrucci L. Hearing loss and incident dementia. Arch Neurol. 2011;68:214–220. - PMC - PubMed
1. Deal J.A., Betz J., Yaffe K., Harris T., Purchase-Helzner E., Satterfield S. Hearing impairment and incident dementia and cognitive decline in older adults: the Health ABC study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017;72:703–709. - PMC - PubMed
1. Lin F.R., Albert M. Hearing loss and dementia—who is listening? Aging Ment Health. 2014;18:671–673. - PMC - PubMed

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

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

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