Improving Spatial Perception and Speech Understanding in Multitalker Mixtures
ConditionHearing Loss
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-80
SponsorBoston University Charles River Campus
About this trial
The purpose of this study is to investigate several approaches for improving spatial perception and speech intelligibility in multitalker listening situations for hearing-aid users. The hypotheses are that spatial perception and speech intelligibility will be improved by (1) increased high-frequency audibility, (2) speech envelope enhancement, and/or (3) appropriate sound image externalization.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
18 to 35 years of age
Audiometric thresholds that do not exceed 20 dB HL at any frequency from 250 to 8000 Hz
Able to provide informed consent and understand experimental instructions
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Disqualifiers
Non-native speakers of English
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
hearing aid condition
Other interventionThe intervention will be a hearing aid or a modification to the sound stimulus that simulates a hearing aid configuration, style, or processing strategy.
Treatment groups
220 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Experimental conditionOther 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Speech intelligibility at baseline
Speech intelligibility scores will be measured in a baseline condition (e.g. unaided) and in a number of hearing-aid conditions (post-intervention). Scale is in percent correct (0-100%).
Time frame
Baseline2
Speech intelligibility post-intervention
Speech intelligibility scores will be measured in a baseline condition (e.g. unaided) and in a number of hearing-aid conditions (post-intervention). Scale is in percent correct (0-100%).
Time frame
Up to 4 hours3
Speech reception threshold at baseline
Speech reception thresholds will be measured in a baseline condition (e.g. unaided) and in a number of hearing-aid conditions (post-intervention). Scale is in decibels (the level of the target speech relative to the masker speech needed to identify 50% of the words in a sentence).
Time frame
Baseline4
Speech reception threshold post-intervention
Speech reception thresholds will be measured in a baseline condition (e.g. unaided) and in a number of hearing-aid conditions (post-intervention). Scale is in decibels (the level of the target speech relative to the masker speech needed to identify 50% of the words in a sentence).
Time frame
Up to 4 hoursSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Boston University Charles River Campus
Lead sponsor
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov