NCT06174038 · RECRUITING
Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI)
This trial is testing whether fitting hearing aids in people with mild to moderate hearing loss can slow cognitive decline compared to a health education program. Participants are adults aged 55 to 75 who already show early memory changes (amnestic MCI). It is a Phase N/A study, meaning it is a randomized trial focused on comparing two real-world interventions rather than testing an unapproved drug. One year of follow-up is planned.
You may qualify if
- Age 55-75 years of age
- Adult-onset hearing loss of approximately mild to moderate in severity (4-frequency 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz pure tone average 20 dB to 55 dB HL in better hearing ear)
- Aidable hearing loss, defined by word recognition score in quiet ≥ 60% in better hearing ear
- Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) defined by Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE2) score >23, Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) global score equivalent = 0.5, and ADNI3 criteria of Logical Memory II score of ≤6 if 0-7 years of education, ≤9 if 8-15 years, and ≤11 if ≥16 years
- Availability of a study partner (informant) for the administration of the cognitive screen and the ADCS-Activities of Daily Living-Prevention Instrument (ADCS-ADL-PI)
- Community-dwelling
- Fluent in English or Spanish
- Availability of participant in area for study duration
You're excluded if
- Self-reported congenital hearing loss, known genetic mutation-related hearing loss, or hearing loss onset before middle age (\<45 years old)
- Prior dementia diagnosis
- Reported disability in ≥ 2 activities of daily living (ADLs)
- Current or previous consistent hearing aid user (such as utilization of hearing aids within the past 6 months beyond brief trials)
- Unwillingness to wear hearing aids regularly (≥8 hours/day)
- Medical contraindications to the use of hearing aids (e.g., actively draining ear)
- Corrected vision impairment (worse than 20/63 on MNRead Acuity Chart in worse eye)
- Untreatable conductive hearing loss with air-bone gap > 15 dB in two or more contiguous octave frequencies in both ears
The sponsor's own eligibility wording, lightly reformatted. The study team makes the final eligibility decision — worth discussing with your doctor.
Eligibility criteria as of 2025-08-05