BMJ Open. 2026 Jul 21;16(7):e122681. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-122681.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Hearing aids (HAs) can alleviate hearing loss; however, HA rehabilitation is frequently hampered by delayed diagnosis, suboptimal fitting and lack of systematic follow-up. Although the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline has been identified, evidence from randomised controlled trials remains limited. Addressing these gaps is essential for reducing hearing loss-related experiences and evaluating whether effective HA use could reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The healthy hearing for healthy ageing study is a proof-of-concept, single-site, two-arm parallel-group 12-month randomised controlled trial with a 12-month extended follow-up. Up to two hundred participants with hearing loss and without cognitive decline referred for an initial HA rehabilitation are recruited and randomised 1:1 to either data-driven hearing rehabilitation or standard care. The primary outcome is the change in two speech perception in noise tests validated for the Finnish language: the Finnish matrix sentence test and the digits-in-noise test. The secondary outcomes are patient-reported outcomes (eg, Hearing in Real-Life Environment and Speech, Spatial and Quality questionnaires), quality of life (eg, 15D-questionnaire), cognitive (eg, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease test) and psychosocial measures. Exploratory outcomes include event-related responses, cortical auditory evoked potentials, structural brain imaging and vision-related measures.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Regional Medical Research Ethics Committee of the well-being Services County of North Savo (approval no. 697/2023). Findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and relevant clinical and patient communities.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06495268.
PMID:42481198 | DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2026-122681
