Sense-Cog Asia

6-month Study

Sense-cog Asia

SENSE-Cog Asia is a six month feasibility
study that started in March 2019 and is funded by The University of Manchester’s international ‘Global Challenges Research Fund’ in the UK. The study is coordinated by The University of Manchester (UK) with three South Asian countries: Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

There is a worldwide increase in aging-related neurodegenerative conditions which lead to dementia. Age-related hearing impairment is also highly prevalent (>90%) in people with dementia, with the majority of people with dementia worldwide currently living in low and middle income countries (LMIC). However there are limited services to support age-related health issues and limited health support seeking behaviour due to a lack of awareness of dementia as a health condition amongst the general population, as well as significant stigma associated with a diagnosis of dementia. Therefore interventions that improve hearing function may
delay cognitive decline in dementia and improve quality of life for patients and caregivers.

The feasibility study will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of potentially low cost, easy-to-use and home-based intervention designed to detect and support people with dementia with hearing impairment. With an aim to improve outcomes in older people with dementia and hearing impairment and their care partners, in a LMIC setting (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).

The intervention ‘Asian Supportive Hearing Intervention for Dementia’ (ASHID) is an eight week home-based intervention delivered by hearing support practitioners. The total duration of the study including baseline and follow up assessments will be 18 weeks.

Progress to date

The study has already received favourable ethics approval from University of Manchester and currently in the process of training the staff and setting up the study in the following seven sites across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh:

• National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Bengaluru (NIMHANS)
• Schizophrenia Research Foundation Chennai (SCARF)
• All India Institute of Speech and Hearing Mysuru (AIISH)
• Sir William Beveridge Foundation Dhaka (SWBF)
• Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning Karachi (PILL)
• Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning Lahore (PILL)
• Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning Rawalpindi (PILL)