Real World Perspectives on Advancements in Hearing Aid Technology
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Hearing Loss
- Sponsor
- Sonova AG
- Enrollment
- 14
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Speech in Noise Test
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This study will compare different microphone technologies in a noisy environment when the dominant speaker is at the front, back, left, or right side of the listener.
Detailed Description
Understanding speech in a noisy environment can be difficult for people with hearing loss even with hearing aids. Hearing aid manufacturers have implanted various methods (i.e., directional micro-phones, noise reduction, noise cancelers) to try to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to increase the speech understanding in these difficult listening situations. This study is evaluating different microphone technologies to determine listening effort when speech is to the back or side of the listener in noisy environment.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Moderate sensorineural hearing loss
- •Experienced hearing aid user
- •Has a significant other/communication partner that can fill out a questionnaire about hearing aid performance during the home trial
- •Smartphone user for receiving study alerts
Exclusion Criteria
- •Cognitive impairment
- •Not willing to wear hearing aid
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Speech in Noise Test
Time Frame: Day 1 of study
A speech in noise test in which participants repeat words which are presented in the presence of background noise. In a 12-speaker array, speech is presented from speakers either on the left side of the participant (-90 degrees) or from behind the participant (180 degrees) while background noise is presented from remaining speakers. Scores are calculated as the number of words correctly repeated and expressed as a percentage. A higher percentage or score is better.
Subjective Perception of Listening Effort
Time Frame: Day 1 of study
Following the speech in noise testing in the lab, participants rated their listening effort on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 = no effort and 10 = a lot of effort. In this case, a lower rating is better as it indicates less perceived listening effort.