Sense-Age Integrating Sensory, Functional and Biological Markers of Healthy Ageing

SENSE-AGE – A longitudinal multidimensional study of hearing loss, cognitive decline, frailty, sarcopenia, vestibular dysfunction and inflammation, supported by AI-based risk prediction

Project Concept

SENSE-AGE is a prospective, five-year longitudinal study investigating interconnected pathways of ageing in adults aged 50–90 years. The project will explore relationships between age-related hearing loss, vestibular dysfunction, cognitive impairment and dementia, frailty, sarcopenia, falls, multimorbidity and chronic inflammation.

The central hypothesis is that sensory, functional, cognitive and biological changes are interconnected components of ageing. Understanding these interactions may enable earlier identification of individuals at risk of functional and cognitive decline and support personalised prevention and intervention.

Participants will undergo multidimensional assessment at baseline and throughout follow-up to characterise individual trajectories of clinical, functional and biological ageing.

Multidimensional Assessment

Assessment will include hearing and vestibular function, cognitive and psychological status, frailty and sarcopenia, nutritional status, physical and functional performance, falls and fall risk, multimorbidity, medication use, quality of life and independence.

Laboratory assessment will include metabolic and lipid profiles, including lipoprotein(a), together with molecular and immunological analyses of biological ageing and chronic inflammatory responses. Particular attention will be given to chronic inflammation and fibroblast-related mechanisms of tissue remodelling as potential biomarkers of ageing and disease progression.

Personalised Intervention

The study will combine longitudinal observation with personalised interventions addressing modifiable risk factors. Depending on individual clinical and functional profiles, participants will receive tailored support in nutrition, physical activity, exercise, rehabilitation and fall prevention. Participants with clinically significant hearing loss will receive appropriate hearing-aid fitting and audiological support.

Adherence and changes in health behaviours will be monitored throughout the three-year follow-up. Changes in hearing, vestibular function, sarcopenia, frailty, cognitive performance, falls and functional status will be assessed to evaluate both intervention effectiveness and individual response.

AI and Predictive Modelling

Clinical, functional, behavioural, laboratory, molecular and immunological data will be integrated using artificial intelligence and machine-learning approaches.

AI-based models will identify multidimensional risk profiles and predict individual trajectories of hearing-loss progression, cognitive decline and dementia, frailty, sarcopenia, falls and functional deterioration. The project will move beyond single-disease prediction towards an integrated model capturing interactions between sensory impairment, vestibular dysfunction, sarcopenia, frailty, inflammation, nutrition and multimorbidity.

Expected Outcomes and Impact

SENSE-AGE will deliver a multidimensional risk prediction and stratification framework and a dynamic risk map showing how individual risk profiles and predicted trajectories evolve over time.

A key objective is to determine how predicted risks are modified by personalised interventions and whether changes are related to intervention type, intensity and adherence. This will enable identification of modifiable risk factors and intervention-responsive risk profiles, helping to determine which individuals are most likely to benefit from specific preventive or rehabilitative strategies.

The project will support a shift from static risk assessment towards dynamic, personalised risk prediction and prevention, contributing to healthier ageing, maintenance of independence and improved quality of life.

NIGRiR and Partnership

The National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation (NIGRiR) offers multidisciplinary expertise in geriatrics, otolaryngology, hearing and vestibular disorders, rehabilitation, ageing, multimorbidity, chronic inflammation and clinical and translational research.

NIGRiR is seeking European partners with expertise in molecular biology, neurodegeneration, chronic inflammation, AI/machine learning, epidemiology, longitudinal cohort studies, digital health and personalised interventions to develop a Horizon Europe proposal focused on healthy ageing, prevention of functional and cognitive decline and personalised healthcare.