// Archives

Dementia and hearing aids, again: the ACHIEVE trial

The results of the ACHIEVE trial of hearing interventions aimed at helping cognition in older people are very welcome. This is a really important piece of research and will have implications for patients, clinicians and researchers. As a hearing aid user myself, I am personally very interested in this topic. The background is that hearing …

The humble hearing aid versus Giant Dementia

The Lancet Commission reports published in 2017 and 2021 have highlighted hearing loss as a major risk factor for dementia, suggesting that hearing loss from midlife onwards is responsible for about 8% of the potentially modifiable risk of dementia. Therefore, potentially, eliminating the problem could prevent 8% of future cases of dementia. This would be …

Roger and out? Further reflections on wireless microphones

Roger happens to be the name of a series of wireless microphones designed to augment the effects of hearing aids. As I mentioned in an earlier blog (Hearing aids and beyond… – Hearing Matters (nottingham.ac.uk), these devices come in different shapes and sizes according to the intended purpose. This blog is to present a personal …

Hearing aids and beyond…

I wrote a few months ago about my initial acceptance of having hearing loss and the experience of acquiring hearing aids (Tom Dening: Hearing aids and cognitive impairment – Challenging Stigma and Promoting Personhood (lancs.ac.uk)). Since then, things have moved on somewhat, causing me to reflect on what is available to help people optimise their …

Use hearing aids but struggle to hear well enough? Take part in the COACH trial.

Take part in research comparing hearing aids to a cochlear implant in adults with severe to profound deafness. NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) examines all the evidence to decide guidelines for clinical treatment. Based on the current evidence, adults may be offered a cochlear implant on the NHS when they have at …

Participant to partner: a research journey

                Katrina Copping uses hearing aids to help with her hearing loss and tinnitus.  Katrina is working alongside researchers at the Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (Hearing Theme) as a Patient Research Partner.  Emma Broome is a Research Fellow at the Biomedical Research Centre.  In this blog, Katrina and …

The use of hearing aids by adults with hearing loss, how should we define and measure success?

Jean Straus uses hearing aids to help with her hearing. As a member of the public with first-hand experience of hearing loss, Jean is a valued member of the research team, providing a unique perspective, ensuring the research is designed around patient needs. Jean would like to share the following with you. ‘The use of …

Help us understand how and why people use – or don’t use – their hearing aids

Do you have hearing aids? Do you use them regularly, sometimes or not at all? We need your help! Please complete our questionnaires to help us understand how we can make it easier for people to use their hearing aids. Contact paige.church@nottingham.ac.uk to take part. Read below to find out more! Thank you. Approximately 12 …