Hearing Loss and Dementia: Finding the Link

Our study aims to provide a strong evidential basis to explain the link between hearing loss and dementia.

We will use a gene-based discovery driven approach using genetic correlation analysis and Mendelian randomisation to explore the relationship between hearing and dementia in large publicly available genetic epidemiological cohorts such as the UK Biobank.

In particular, to clarify whether there is a causal relationship between the two traits, or whether they are affected by common vulnerabilities as our preliminary data suggest. In either scenario, our study will pinpoint the risk factors or processes underlying this relationship.

We will also use neuroimaging analysis to identify the order in which biomarkers (or brain-regions) become ‘abnormal’, allowing us to see how ARHL-related regions relate to known biomarkers for dementia.

To help prevent dementia and/or hearing loss we need to understand and identify the reasons for the link between the two so that we can intervene to ameliorate these effects.

A common aetiology may mean we can identify a common therapeutic or preventative target for both traits generating hypothesis driven drug development approaches for patient or population benefit. This project is being jointly funded with Alzheimer's Research UK.