Dr Kim Kiely, CEPAR Associate Investigator at UNSW Sydney, has been awarded a Dementia Australia Research Foundation Project Grant by Dementia Australia. Dr Kiely will use the funding for a pilot study into hearing-related neurocognitive impairment.
“There is good evidence that older adults with significant hearing difficulties are more likely to experience cognitive decline and dementia, but the reasons for this are unknown,” said Dr Kiely.
“This Dementia Australia grant will support the Auditory Ageing and Cognitive Impairment Study (AUDACIOUS), which is a new study designed to examine pathways proposed to explain the link between hearing loss and cognition.”
“For example, communication difficulties arising from hearing loss can lead to withdrawal from activities considered important for maintaining healthy levels of cognitive function. This has led some to speculate that hearing rehabilitation may be a viable intervention for dementia prevention."
“One of the objectives of AUDACIOUS is to quantify the extent to which the relationship between poor hearing and impaired cognitive functioning is mediated by lower levels of participation in activities that are good for brain health. We also investigate if use of hearing rehabilitation services protects against poorer cognitive function among adults with hearing loss," he said.
“The findings will inform a future larger study and may have implications for both dementia prevention and practice in hearing health.”
The Chair of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Professor Graeme Samuel AC, said the project grants provided a valuable opportunity to researchers who wanted to make a difference in the field of dementia.
“We are investing in the next generation of Australian researchers who will be among those tackling some of the biggest challenges in this field. These grants are highly competitive and sought after in the research sector, and provide vital insights into reducing dementia risk, improving accurate and timely diagnoses and establishing treatment and care options for people who live with dementia,” Prof Samuel said.
Dr Kim Kiely is a Senior Research Fellow within the UNSW School of Psychology with a conjoint appointment at NeuRA. He currently holds an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship entitled ‘Estimating and Alleviating the Impacts of Age-Related Sensory Decline’ and is also the Lead Investigator on an ARC funded ‘Healthy and Working Life Expectancies in an Ageing Australia’ study.
Dr Kiely's research is orientated by a contextualised perspective to human development and spans the fields of life course epidemiology, social psychiatry, and geropsychology. His interests encompass aspects of healthy and productive ageing, focusing on the social, functional and cognitive impacts of sensory ageing. He is also developing a research program investigating social determinants and inequalities in health and working life expectancies.
Dr Kiely is a CEPAR Associate Investigator, involved in the Decision Making, Expectations and Cognitive Ageing research stream of the CEPAR research program.