Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness (ManCAD) / Auditory Biomarkers of Healthy Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease (ABHAD)

Study title: Auditory Biomarkers of Healthy Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease (ABHAD)

We are investigating how different auditory (hearing) measures change during ageing and how these may be different in early Alzheimer’s disease.

About the study

There is a link between hearing loss and dementia, although we still don’t understand why they are associated. This study is looking at in-depth hearing measures and how these are associated with memory and language, and also disease markers in the blood.

Take part in the study

We are recruiting people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and need to compare scores to cognitively healthy older adults.

To take part, you must:

  • be aged over 55 years old;
  • have no history of memory problems

If you agree to take part in this study, we will examine your ears and remove earwax if required. We will then assess your hearing using several different tests, including listening through headphones and automatic tests; test your memory using a mix of pen and paper tasks, and ask you to donate an optional blood sample to investigate markers in the blood which may be associated with hearing loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Testing usually lasts between 2-4 hours (which is split over 2 sessions). We reimburse travel expenses.

Download the participant information sheet (PIS) for more detailed information about the study and what taking part would mean for you. It is important that you read this document in full before making a decision about whether or not to participate.

Get in touch

If you would like to take part, or have any questions at all, please contact Dr Jenna Littlejohn

Email: jenna.littlejohn@manchester.ac.uk

This study is part-funded by NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (reference NIHR203308), and part-funded by Deafness Support Network (charity no. 506791).

ManCAD