350,000 people may need to apply to fill Alzheimer's clinical trials. Here's where hearing fits in.

A new era for dementia research

There are 158 potential Alzheimer's treatments being tested in 192 clinical trials, needing around 55,000 participants. Because many applicants don't meet trials' strict entry criteria, Professor Jeffrey Cummings estimates at least 350,000 people would need to apply to fill them.

That figure comes from the new World Alzheimer Report from Alzheimer's Disease International, A new era in dementia clinical trials, launched on World Alzheimer's Day. The report sets out how research can become more inclusive, less burdensome and more focused on what matters to people living with dementia.

Our hearing scientist and audiologist read it closely, and hearing runs right through it.

Why hearing matters for dementia research

1. Fairer trials

Unrecognised hearing loss can affect how well someone understands study information and consent forms. It may also affect performance on spoken cognitive tests, where a hearing difficulty could be mistaken for a memory one. Considering hearing in trial design could reduce barriers to taking part and protects the quality of the results.

2. Reaching people earlier

The report calls for more "trial-ready" populations. Hearing services see people who may be at risk of dementia long before they reach a memory clinic, a valuable new route into early-stage and prevention research.

3. Outcomes that matter

The report urges trials to look beyond biomarkers and cognitive scores to independence, daily functioning and quality of life. Hearing is closely linked to communication and social connection, which matter a great deal to quality of life.

4. Prevention

The report backs more investment in non-drug trials, including those focused on risk reduction. Hearing loss is one of the most significant modifiable risk factors for dementia, so regular hearing checks matter.

What we're doing at eargym

The report asks researchers to involve people affected by dementia from the start. We co-designed our dementia-friendly hearing check with people living with dementia, to make it easier to use for people living with dementia. 

eargym scientists Tim Green and Madison Tutton played a significant role in a new article in the prestigious Journal of Neurology, "Hearing impairment and dementia: cause, catalyst or consequence?", co-authored with Chris J. D. Hardy, Jason D. Warren and colleagues at UCL's Dementia Research Centre. The review examined the possible links between hearing and dementia, including whether tests of how the brain processes sound could one day serve as early markers of dementia. 

The recruitment challenges the report describes aren't unique to dementia; auditory research faces many of the same ones. Through our strategic research collaboration with Cilcare, we hope to help make recruitment for trials of potential new hearing-loss treatments more inclusive and more efficient, by reaching participants earlier and remotely. 

Get involved

When did you last check your hearing? Try eargym today.

Researchers and trial teams: if you'd like to explore how hearing can strengthen your study design or recruitment, we'd love to talk.

References

Alzheimer’s Disease International. 2026. World Alzheimer Report 2026: A new era in dementia clinical trials. London, England: Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Levett, B.A., Chandra, A., Jiang, J. et al. Hearing impairment and dementia: cause, catalyst or consequence?. J Neurol 272, 402 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-025-13140-x