Hearing Impairment as a Risk Factor for Dementia in Older Adults

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Dementia; Hearing Loss

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 6952

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Tønsberg, Norway
    • Norwegian National Advisory Unit of Ageing and Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 70 years and older (OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

HUNT2 and HUNT4 hearing studies: Participants from 17 of the 24 municipalities in the county were offered and accepted a hearing examination, consisting of pure-tone audiometry and two questionnaires on hearing issues, such as use of hearing aids, noise exposure, and tinnitus.

HUNT4 70+/HUNT Trondheim 70+: All participants 70 years of age or older are invited to participate in HUNT4 70+ including cognitive screening examinations.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Living in designated area

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
HUNT4 70+; All inhabitants of Nord-Trøndelag 70 years of age or older were invited to participate in HUNT4 70+.
HUNT Trondheim 70+; All inhabitants of one district in Trondheim 70 years of age or older were invited to participate in HUNT4 70+.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of dementia diagnosis in the HUNT 70+ study	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).	2017-2019
Rate of Minimal Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the HUNT 70+ study	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.	2017-2019
Rate of cognitive impairment defined as age- and education-adjusted thresholds on cognitive assessments scales	The participants have been assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale and the ten-word recall test	2017-2019

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Norwegian Centre for Ageing and Health
• Collaborators: University of Oslo; University College London Hospitals; Norwegian University of Science and Technology; The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study; The Norwegian Institute of Public Health
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Geir Selbæk, PhD, Norwegian Centre for Ageing and Health

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• GjOra L, Strand BH, Bergh S, Borza T, Braekhus A, Engedal K, Johannessen A, Kvello-Alme M, Krokstad S, Livingston G, Matthews FE, Myrstad C, Skjellegrind H, Thingstad P, Aakhus E, Aam S, Selbaek G. Current and Future Prevalence Estimates of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Its Subtypes in a Population-Based Sample of People 70 Years and Older in Norway: The HUNT Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2021;79(3):1213-1226. doi: 10.3233/JAD-201275.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 19, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 20, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): November 20, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): February 25, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 14, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 6, 2021
• Last Verified: September 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurocognitive Disorders; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Ear Diseases; Sensation Disorders; Hearing Disorders; Dementia; Hearing Loss; Deafness
• Other Study ID Numbers: 181009

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No