# Implementing genomic medicine in clinical care of deaf patients

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $382,695

## Abstract

Evaluation of sensory impairment in individuals with MCI or AD
Sensory impairments are associated with cognitive decline in older adults, h o w e v e r , these associations
are complex and can exhibit bidirectionality. A recent Lancet Commission examined hearing loss as one
of several potential modifiable risk factors for dementia, calculating its risk-adjusted population attributable
fraction (PAF) in a community-based study of British adults7. The estimated PAF for hearing loss in middle-
aged adults 45-64 years of age was 9%, a value higher than any other examined modifiable risk factor; this
value was also higher than the PAF estimate for the APoE e4 allele (8%). The overall goal of this work is to
more fully characterize the sensory-cognitive relationship as it applies specifically to a diverse aging cohort of
cognitively impaired individuals (MCI) at risk for further decline as well as those who are aging normally with
little or no cognitive decline, and identify the genetic variation underlying these interactions. This administrative
supplemental funding request is designed to add a sensory impairment test battery to our ongoing translational
study with the following aims: Aim 1: To examine sensory and cognitive associations in older adults with
mild AD and MCI. With our established relationship with the Aging Center we have access older adults
diagnosed with MCI for the proposed studies to identify the key features of the sensory profile associated with
MCI, diagnosed by a dementia adjudication team. Aim 2: To identify genetic variation associated with an
increased risk and a trajectory of hearing loss in the context of cognition and physical function.
Individuals will first be screened utilizing candidate genes from our established MiamiOtogenomic pipeline of
over 200 genes in the two groups. Individuals without obvious candidate variants will then undergo whole
exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS). We have over 500 participants being longitudinally followed in
NIH funded projects. Our sample is ethnically diverse as half of our sample is Hispanic and 10% are
African American; 50% of our Hispanic group (Spanish is their dominant language) are of Cuban descent,
20% are from Puerto Rico, and 30% are from other Latin American Countries. We will use the identical
clinical evaluation and traditional neuropsychological measures used in previous studies as highlighted in
the Inclusion/Exclusion criteria below since we have extensive local norms for Hispanic, white Non-
Hispanic, and African-American groups. We have already established a sensory disorders clinic associated in
conjunction with this project and have the capability to see patients ages 50-90 years old from diverse
racial/ethnic backgrounds on a weekly basis. Our minority focused Miami sensory screening pipeline, and
database of genomic variation and phenotypes – sensory disorders and MCI will identify a sensory impairment
battery for the early detection of MCI that can be incorporated...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10499325
- **Project number:** 3R01DC012115-09S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** XUE Z LIU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $382,695
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2013-03-08 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10499325

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10499325, Implementing genomic medicine in clinical care of deaf patients (3R01DC012115-09S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10499325. Licensed CC0.

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