# Accessible Hearing Care for Reduction of Disruptive Behaviors and Caregiver Burden in Dementia

> **NIH NIH K23** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $198,316

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Dr. Carrie Nieman will be joining the faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she will dedicate her clinical practice to hearing loss and otology.
She seeks this Mentored Career Development Award to fill knowledge gaps in her training in the care and
study of hearing loss and communication impairments among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and
related dementias (ADRD). Her long-term goal is to establish an independent research program devoted to
community-delivered hearing care for persons with dementia. The candidate proposes a comprehensive
training plan that incorporates didactic coursework, hands-on experiences, active participation in seminars and
workshops, and dedicated meetings and tutorials overseen by a transdisciplinary mentor team. The training
plan immerses Dr. Nieman in the rich interdisciplinary research and clinical environments of the Johns Hopkins
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center, the Johns Hopkins
Center on Aging and Health, as well as Gallaudet University and the Center for Research and Education on
Aging and Technology Enhancement. Specific training goals include: (1) receive training in cognitive aging and
the neuropsychological and clinical assessment and management of older adults with ADRD, (2) complete
training in mixed methods and apply skills to the proposed study, (3) integrate a human factors approach to
hearing care, (4) incorporate coursework in trial design and analysis and advanced techniques in intervention
research, and (5) continue training in responsible research conduct, with emphasis on vulnerable populations.
The specific aims of the proposed research are to: (1) characterize hearing loss and hearing care in a diverse
cohort of community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment to inform the development of a
comprehensive communication intervention, (2) develop, via a community-engaged approach, a theory-driven,
user-centered communication intervention that integrates low-cost, over-the-counter hearing technology, and
(3) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a home-delivered communication
intervention through a randomized controlled pilot study. Study recruitment, retention, and execution will be
conducted in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the local chapter of
the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Maryland Institute College of Art Center for Social Design. Completion of
the proposed research will establish the potential for affordable, accessible hearing care as a low-risk, low-cost
approach to reduction of disruptive behaviors and caregiver burden among persons with dementia and their
caregivers. At the conclusion of this award, the candidate will have obtained the skills, knowledge, and
preliminary data to successfully compete for independent funding and, ultimately, inform the development of
new m...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9926799
- **Project number:** 5K23AG059900-03
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** CARRIE L NIEMAN
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $198,316
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9926799

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9926799, Accessible Hearing Care for Reduction of Disruptive Behaviors and Caregiver Burden in Dementia (5K23AG059900-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9926799. Licensed CC0.

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