Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI)

NCT ID: NCT06174038

Last Updated: 2025-08-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-08-01

Study Completion Date

2027-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI) is a single site study that will randomize late middle age adults to either a hearing intervention (including hearing aids) or a health education intervention. Participants will be followed for 1 year. This study will provide information on reducing cognitive decline in those at risk for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

EARHLI will be a phase II 1:1 randomized controlled trial of a hearing intervention (including prescription hearing aids) versus a health education program. Participants must be 55-75 years old and have early-stage age-related hearing loss and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The trial will last 1 year and occur at a single site (Columbia University Irving Medical Center). Outcome measurements will include cognition, social engagement, and change in brain organization/connectivity. Assessments will occur at study start, 6 months, and 12 months. A total of 150 participants will be enrolled (75 per intervention group). Participants will also have a hearing test and a blood test. Approximately half of participants will have two MRI scans. As part of participating, all participants will get prescription hearing aids, either at study start or end.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Alzheimer Disease Hearing Loss Cognitive Impairment

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Hearing Intervention

Participants will receive 4 sessions across 8 weeks with a later booster session and hearing aid fitting. Each session will take \~75 minutes.

Group Type OTHER

Hearing Intervention

Intervention Type DEVICE

The hearing intervention includes an auditory needs assessment, hearing aid fitting, establishing Bluetooth connectivity from hearing aids to devices such as smartphones and computers, systematic orientation and instruction in device use, and provision and discussion of hearing "toolkit" materials for self-management and communication strategies. The hearing intervention is person-centered, focusing on identification of individual needs, setting of specific goals, engagement in shared-informed decision-making, and development of self-management abilities. Intervention-centric outcomes (e.g., hearing aid data logging, real ear measures) to verify the best-practices intervention will be gathered at all 5 intervention sessions as well as weeks 16 and 52. Additional visits to troubleshoot hearing aids or address concerns will be scheduled as needed.

Health Education Intervention

Participants will receive a modified health education program on healthy aging. It will match the number and length of sessions as the hearing intervention, including compliance/phone checks. Participants will be on a waitlist to obtain hearing aids without fee at the end of their 12-month participation.

Group Type OTHER

Health Education Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The evidence-based interactive health education program is designed for older adults and addresses chronic disease and disability prevention. Session content will be individualized for each participant based on a "key," depending on his/her goals/interests. The curriculum includes didactics, activities, and goal setting led by staff trained/certified to deliver the intervention.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Hearing Intervention

The hearing intervention includes an auditory needs assessment, hearing aid fitting, establishing Bluetooth connectivity from hearing aids to devices such as smartphones and computers, systematic orientation and instruction in device use, and provision and discussion of hearing "toolkit" materials for self-management and communication strategies. The hearing intervention is person-centered, focusing on identification of individual needs, setting of specific goals, engagement in shared-informed decision-making, and development of self-management abilities. Intervention-centric outcomes (e.g., hearing aid data logging, real ear measures) to verify the best-practices intervention will be gathered at all 5 intervention sessions as well as weeks 16 and 52. Additional visits to troubleshoot hearing aids or address concerns will be scheduled as needed.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Health Education Intervention

The evidence-based interactive health education program is designed for older adults and addresses chronic disease and disability prevention. Session content will be individualized for each participant based on a "key," depending on his/her goals/interests. The curriculum includes didactics, activities, and goal setting led by staff trained/certified to deliver the intervention.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* 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

Exclusion Criteria

* 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
Minimum Eligible Age

55 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Johns Hopkins University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of South Florida

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Washington

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Columbia University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Justin S. Golub

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Justin S Golub, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Columbia University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Columbia University Medical Center

New York, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Larry Tapia

Role: CONTACT

646-317-3252

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Larry Tapia

Role: primary

646-317-3252

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Denham MW, Arnold ML, Sanchez VA, Lin FR, Tucker LH, Gomez MC, Fernandez K, Arpi P, Neil H, Boyle S, Selevan S, Sussman TJ, Gmelin T, Fine I, Glynn NW, Teresi J, Noble JM, Goldberg T, Luchsinger JA, Golub JS. Design and Methods of the Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation Randomized Controlled Trial. Otol Neurotol. 2024 Jun 1;45(5):594-601. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000004093.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38728564 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

R01AG075083

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

AAAU1896

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

ACHIEVE Brain Health Follow-Up Study
NCT05532657 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING PHASE3
Hearing and Cognition in Aging Adults
NCT06183450 NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Cognitive Screening of Patients with Hearing Loss
NCT04672174 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA
Hearing-physical Activity Intervention
NCT07071168 NOT_YET_RECRUITING NA
Hearing Loss in Older Adults Study
NCT03382769 TERMINATED NA