Hearing Aids and the Brain
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Hearing Loss
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Enrollment
- 20
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Frequency following response timing
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 3 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Hearing aids are being fit on inexperienced hearing aid users and the short-term and long-term effects are measured. This research aims to improve understanding of the individual factors that contribute to receiving benefit from hearing aids and lead to more individualized treatment of hearing loss.
Detailed Description
Hearing aids are used to improve audibility for patients with hearing loss and improve speech perception. In addition to these immediate benefits, amplification has the potential to have long-term effects on higher level auditory processing abilities, such as cognition or other abilities required for complex listening tasks. These long-term acclimatization effects are not well understood and merit further behavioral and physiological examination. Hearing aids will be fit on inexperienced hearing aid users and outcome measures will be used to determine immediate and long-term effects of hearing aids. This research may provide a more detailed view of individual differences that contribute to receiving benefit from a hearing aid and may lead to more individualized treatment of hearing loss.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •50 years of age or older
- •Bilateral, mild to moderately severe hearing loss
- •Inexperienced hearing aid users
Exclusion Criteria
- •Subject deciding that they do not wish to wear hearing aids as necessitated per study protocol
- •Audiometric thresholds that suggest research stimuli would not be audible
- •Conductive hearing loss and/or other significant ear or hearing problems
- •Non-native English speakers
- •Conditions or circumstances that would preclude a participant from wearing hearing aids consistently or finishing the study
- •An inability to perform or complete the experimental tasks
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Frequency following response timing
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Timing measured by cross-correlation between stimulus and response
Evoked potential amplitude
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Amplitude will be measured in microvolts
Ongoing electroencephalography power
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
EEG power as a function of frequency recorded during words-in-noise measure
Listening invested/required effort
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Participants' rating of the effort required (0-9) and invested (0-9) for listening task
Word-in-noise perception testing
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Signal-to-noise ratio at which participant correctly understands 50% of speech in noise using WIN test
Working memory testing
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Performance on auditory working memory task
Evoked potential latency
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Latency will be measured in milliseconds
Frequency following response magnitude
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Magnitude of response measured in nanovolts
Reading Span
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Percent correct recall on working memory task
Hearing aid usage
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Data logging from the hearing aid will provide usage in hours per day
Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile (GHABP)
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Participants rating on five-point scale their perceived initial (i.e., unaided) hearing disability, initial handicap, aided benefit, aided handicap, HA use and HA satisfaction in four listening situations
Montreal Cognitive Assessment score
Time Frame: Approximately 1 year
Assessment score from 1 to 30