Hearing Study: Sensitivity to Features of Speech Sounds

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Hearing Loss, Sensorineural

• Registration Number: NCT03666676
• Lead Sponsor: University of Rochester

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to better understand the sensitivity of listeners to the fast changes in frequency or amplitude of sounds that occur in speech. The investigators are studying ways to manipulate these aspects of sounds in an effort to make speech sounds more clear.

Detailed Description

The investigators will test listeners with normal hearing or with mild or moderate hearing loss. Tests will first focus on sensitivity to changes in fast changes in amplitude (loudness) or frequency (pitch) in sounds. Then the investigators will test the intelligibility of synthetic vowels and syllables in which these "chirps" are manipulated. Finally, the investigators will test intelligibility of words in noise while manipulating sounds in an effort to improve clarity.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-09-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-09-08
• Study First Posted: 2018-09-12
• Study Start: 2020-06-09
• Primary Completion: 2024-08-01
• Study Completion: 2024-08-01
• Results First Submitted: 2024-10-15
• Status Verified: 2025-05
• Results First Submitted QC: 2025-05-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-09
• Results First Posted: 2025-05-29
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 67

Inclusion Criteria

• Normal hearing, mild or moderate symmetric sensorineural hearing loss.

Exclusion Criteria

• Asymmetric hearing thresholds (more than 15 decibels (dB) threshold difference between the two ears at any frequency up to 4 kHz).
• Severe hearing loss (greater than 60 dB hearing thresholds at any frequency up to 4 kHz).

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
F1 Discrimination Threshold	6 months	Discrimination threshold for changes in F1, the low-frequency formant (spectral peak) in the synthetic vowel sounds.
F2 Discrimination Threshold	6 month	Discrimination thresholds in % frequency for F2, the higher-frequency peak in synthetic vowel stimuli.
Pure-tone Average Thresholds	6 months	Hearing thresholds, average across test frequencies from 250 to 4000 Hz and averaged across the two ears.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Rochester; 🇺🇸 Rochester, New York, United States