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Do Hearing Aids Influence Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Quality of Life in Hearing Impaired Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Their Caregivers?
Adrait A, Perrot X, Nguyen MF, Gueugnon M, Petitot C, Collet L, Roux A, Bonnefoy M et al.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2017-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background It has been suggested that age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are commonly associated. Objective The Alzheimer Disease, Presbycusis and Hearing Aids (ADPHA) clinical trial assessed the influence of hearing aids (HAs) on patients affected by ARHL and AD, as judged by behavioral symptoms and functional abilities, as well as patient and caregiver quality of life (QoL). Methods A multicenter double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, with a semi-crossover procedure over 12 months, was conducted from 2006 to 2012. For the first 6 months, the active group was treated with active HAs and the placebo group with inactive HAs. For the last 6 months, HAs in the placebo group were activated. Assessment was conducted at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. We performed intergroup and intragroup comparisons. Behavioral symptoms were assessed by neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI), functional abilities by instrumental activities of daily living, and QoL by Zarit, Alzheimer's disease related quality of life, and simplified Duke scales. Results Fifty-one patients were included and randomized: 22 in active group (mean NPI 17.6; mean age 83±6.2) and 26 in placebo group (mean NPI 25.8; mean age 82.3±7.2) were fitted with HAs. At 6-month follow-up, all scores worsened without significant difference between the two groups. In placebo group, activation of HAs had no effect on the change of these scores. Conclusion These findings do not provide evidence of improvement in behavioral symptoms, functional status, or QoL of hearing impaired AD patients and their caregivers after 6 months of HA use. However, we cannot exclude that HAs may have a positive effect in patients aged less than 75 years.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Adrait, A., Perrot, X., Nguyen, M. F., Gueugnon, M., Petitot, C., Collet, L., et al. (2017). Do Hearing Aids Influence Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Quality of Life in Hearing Impaired Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Their Caregivers? Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-160792
Vancouver
Adrait A, Perrot X, Nguyen MF, Gueugnon M, Petitot C, Collet L, et al. Do Hearing Aids Influence Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Quality of Life in Hearing Impaired Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Their Caregivers? Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2017. doi:10.3233/jad-160792. PMID: 28269769.
BibTeX
@article{adrait2017-28269769,
author = {Adrait, A. and Perrot, X. and Nguyen, M. F. and Gueugnon, M. and Petitot, C. and Collet, L. and Roux, A. and Bonnefoy, M. and others},
title = {{Do Hearing Aids Influence Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Quality of Life in Hearing Impaired Alzheimer's Disease Patients and Their Caregivers?}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.3233/jad-160792},
pmid = {28269769},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-160792}
}
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Key findings
- Background It has been suggested that age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are commonly associated.
- Results Fifty-one patients were included and randomized: 22 in active group (mean NPI 17.6; mean age 83±6.2) and 26 in placebo group (mean NPI 25.8; mean age 82.3±7.2) were fitted with HAs.
- At 6-month follow-up, all scores worsened without significant difference between the two groups.
- Conclusion These findings do not provide evidence of improvement in behavioral symptoms, functional status, or QoL of hearing impaired AD patients and their caregivers after 6 months of HA use.
Why it matters
In this 12-month trial of 51 patients, hearing aids did not significantly improve behavioral symptoms, functional abilities, or quality of life compared with inactive hearing aids at 6 months. The findings do not provide evidence that hearing aids help these symptoms in people with Alzheimer's disease and age-related hearing loss.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 60/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 48 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.4 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 3.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Marc Bonnefoy: h-index 40 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Inserm: institution h-index 1,988 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28269769) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 60 / 100 | — |
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