Using hearing aids to help protect memory and thinking in people with early hearing loss
Official title: Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess Mechanisms Linking Early Age-Related Hearing Loss and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11178762 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether providing hearing-aid based support to people aged 55–75 with early hearing loss and mild memory problems can slow memory decline and related brain changes linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,139,335 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG075083-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178762 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults 55–75 years old with early (borderline-to-moderate, ~20–55 dB) age-related hearing loss and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
✕Less likely to help
People without age-related hearing loss, those with advanced dementia or non-amnestic cognitive problems, or those with severe/profound hearing loss outside the targeted range may not benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would join other adults ages 55–75 who have early-stage age-related hearing loss and amnestic mild cognitive impairment and be randomly assigned to a hearing aid–based intervention or usual care. Study staff will track your memory and thinking with standardized tests, collect information on social engagement and daily functioning, and likely perform brain imaging and other measurements to see how hearing support affects brain connections. The team aims to link changes in hearing and social activity to changes in cognition and brain organization. Participation will focus on people with borderline-to-moderate hearing loss (about 20–55 dB) that often goes untreated.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, using hearing aids in this group could slow memory decline and reduce the chance of progressing toward dementia by improving hearing, social engagement, and brain function.
How similar studies have gone: Observational studies link hearing loss to dementia risk and small trials suggest hearing aids can improve social engagement, but large randomized trials testing whether hearing aids slow cognitive decline are limited and this approach is still early-stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Golub, Justin Scott — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Golub, Justin Scott
Related research
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This study is looking at how hearing loss might affect memory and brain health in people with Alzheimer's disease, using animals to see if losing hearing makes Alzheimer's symptoms worse, which could help us find ways to prevent or treat both conditions.
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.