Detecting and tracking Alzheimer's and related dementias using speech from hearing aids
Official title: Early detection and monitoring of Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias using non-semantic linguistic and acoustic features of speech derived from hearing aids
Funded at Headwaters Innovation, INC. · NIH-11181842 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses speech sounds captured by hearing aids and machine learning to look for early signs of Alzheimer's and related dementias in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Headwaters Innovation, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Inver Grove Heights, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $926,545 |
| NIH project number | 2R44AG080977-02A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181842 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults who use hearing aids, especially those in the typical age range for Alzheimer's risk or who are concerned about memory or thinking changes.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use hearing aids or who are not comfortable having their speech data recorded and analyzed are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would contribute by allowing speech-related data from your hearing aid to be analyzed for subtle language and sound changes that can show up before obvious memory problems. Researchers will extract non-semantic linguistic and acoustic features from everyday speech and apply machine learning to spot patterns linked to cognitive decline. The goal is to create a noninvasive, low-cost way to monitor brain health that can work in remote and urban settings. Participation could involve remote data collection and occasional follow-ups with the research team.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect dementia earlier and provide an easy way to monitor changes over time using devices many people already wear.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller studies have shown promising links between speech/acoustic markers and early cognitive decline, but using hearing-aid–captured speech for wide-scale monitoring is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Headwaters Innovation, INC.
Inver Grove Heights, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bischoff, Brian John — Headwaters Innovation, INC.
- Study coordinator: Bischoff, Brian John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Early detection of Alzheimer’s and related dementia using speech from hearing aids
This project explores whether non-semantic speech patterns and acoustic features from hearing aid users can help detect and monitor Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias early on.
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A study in veterans exposed to blasts will test a new, data-driven way to fit low-gain hearing aids using speech-based hearing tests to help with difficult listening in noisy places.
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Everyday speech tests to detect and monitor Alzheimer’s and related dementias
This project uses short recorded speech on phones to look for early signs of Alzheimer’s and track language changes over time.
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Understanding how background noise affects speech recognition in children with and without hearing aids
This study looks at how background noise affects kids' ability to understand speech, especially for those with normal hearing and those who use hearing aids, using eye-tracking technology to see how well they can follow spoken words in noisy situations.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.