Hearing impairment, left untreated, increases the risk of anxiety, stress, frailty, and loneliness, all of which serve as significant risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia. Dona Jayakody, PhD, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, discusses hearing rehabilitation in those at risk of cognitive impairment. Observational data have suggested that hearing loss is a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia but currently, there is a lack of randomized, controlled evidence supporting the use of hearing rehabilitation to delay cognitive decline. Therefore, Dr Jayakody and colleagues are running the HearCog trial in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and moderate hearing loss, to see the impact of hearing rehabilitation on cognitive decline over 24 months. They will also investigate the aforementioned contributing factors and assess how they change as a result of hearing rehabilitation. Having recently concluded the 12-month data collection phase, the study will provide deeper insights into the relationship between hearing rehabilitation and cognitive decline in at-risk populations. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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