Actively Recruiting
Characterizing Variability in Hearing Aid Outcomes in Among Older Adults With Alzheimer's Dementia
Led by Northwestern University · Updated on 2026-04-30
20
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
321 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
N
Northwestern University
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This current translational project, funded by NIH, aims to better understand the impact of various signal modification strategies for older adults with Alzheimer's dementia and its potential precursor, known as amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The investigators hypothesize that adults with Alzheimer's dementia represent an extreme case of restricted cognitive ability, such that very low working memory capacity and overall reduced cognitive capacity will limit benefit from advanced signal processing. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that adults with Alzheimer's dementia will receive greater benefit from acoustically simple, high-fidelity hearing aid processing that minimally alters the acoustic signal.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Characterizing Variability in Hearing Aid Outcomes in Among Older Adults With Alzheimer's Dementia
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Speak English as their primary language
- Normal or corrected to normal vision (20/40 binocular vision or unaided using a Snellen chart)
- Sensorineural hearing loss with pure-tone thresholds 25-70 dB HL at octave frequencies between 500 and 3000 Hz and a 4 frequency (.5, 1, 2, 3 kHz) pure-tone average of ≥30 dB in each ear
- Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1 indicating slight or mild cognitive impairment
- Diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia or amnestic mild cognitive impairment with a minimum MoCA score of 18
- Living at home
- Minimum Grade 10 education
- Able to provide own consent as evaluated by the Consent Assessment
You will not qualify if you...
- Clinically significant unstable or progressive medical conditions or other risks as judged by investigators
- History of unresolved communication difficulties from neurological problems (e.g., stroke, brain tumor), neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Down's syndrome), or head/neck cancer
- History of major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or untreated depression
- Currently enrolled in other studies targeting hearing, language, or communication
- Conductive hearing loss pathology, congenital hearing loss, or fluctuating hearing loss
- Current active hearing aid wearer, defined as using hearing aids at least 4 hours a day on most days within the past year
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
Actively Recruiting
2
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois, United States, 60208
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
K
Kendra Marks, Au.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
DOUBLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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