Lowering Alzheimer's risk by treating hearing and vision loss
Project 3: Prevention and Treatment of Hearing and Vision Impairments for Reducing AD/ADRD risk
Looks at whether fixing hearing and vision problems in older adults can reduce the chance of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11189736 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses large, long-term health studies and medical records to see how hearing and vision loss — and treatments like hearing aids or vision correction — relate to later dementia. Researchers will use advanced statistical methods to separate true effects from other influences and to reduce bias in observational data. They will also check whether benefits differ by sex, location, socioeconomic status, genetic risk, or heart and vascular health. The goal is to predict who might benefit most from correcting sensory impairments to prevent dementia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Older adults with measured hearing or vision loss, or older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s who are willing to share health records or participate in long-term observational studies, are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without sensory impairments or those with advanced dementia unlikely to be helped by sensory correction may not benefit directly from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could show that treating hearing and vision problems prevents some cases of Alzheimer’s and help guide prevention programs for older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked sensory loss to higher dementia risk, but causal proof is limited and intervention evidence (for hearing aids or vision correction preventing dementia) remains inconclusive.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brenowitz, Willa Domino — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Brenowitz, Willa Domino
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 below.