Management of Age-Related Auditory Decline and Early Warning of Its Co-occurring Dementia
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Not applicable- observational study.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Age-related Hearing Loss, Dementia. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- China
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
Against the backdrop of global population aging, age-related hearing loss (ARHL) has reached epidemic proportions and is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor for cognitive decline and other major neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to systematically develop an integrated framework for the early warning, precise assessment, and intervention management of ARHL. Using a national multicenter design, the project will establish a prospective cohort of more than 3,000 older adults. We will integrate multimodal data including audiological tests, cognitive function assessments, and blood biomarkers, and employ artificial intelligence and unsupervised machine learning methods to address critical bottlenecks in the field: the unclear mechanistic link between ARHL and cognitive decline, and the lack of validated predictive tools. Specifically, this study will: (1) develop data-driven clinical classification criteria for ARHL; (2) create a personalized "Hearing Health Clock" predictive model; (3) identify minimally invasive blood biomarkers for early detection of cognitive impairment; and (4) formulate a multidimensional early dementia screening program suitable for community-wide implementation. The findings will provide scientific evidence and practical tools for the prevention and control of hearing and cognitive health risks in older adults in China.
Interventions
- Other Not applicable- observational study
Not applicable-observational study
Primary outcome measures
- Incidence of dementia and cognitive decline, and progression of age-related auditory decline in community-dwelling older adults [Time frame: 3 years from baseline enrollment]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Aged 60 years or older.
- Clear consciousness and able to cooperate with all study assessments and examinations.
- Permanent local residents who have lived in the area for at least 9 months per year and are willing to complete long-term follow-up.
long-term follow-up：
- Diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Bilaterally symmetric hearing with air conduction threshold difference ≤15 dB at 0.5 kHz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz and 4 kHz between two ears.
- Hearing loss not caused by non-age-related factors.
Exclusion criteria
- Unable to complete pure-tone audiometry and other auditory examinations. History of central nervous system diseases, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, intracranial tumor or brain trauma.
- Severe uncontrolled systemic diseases (cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, renal insufficiency) or advanced malignant tumor with expected survival less than 3 years.
- Any other condition judged by the investigator inappropriate for study enrollment.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
China · 1 center
- The 6th Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital — Beijing
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07608640 · CFH 2026-1-5071 · CFH 2026-1-5071