Hearing Disorders and Deafness

The goal of this study is to identify electrical patterns in the cortex that enable the generation of predictions in natural auditory sequences such as speech and music. Between 500 and 700 participants in total (250 to 350 normally hearing participants (including 60 to 120 participants from West Africa and 60 to 120 participants from Western Europe) and 250 to 350 participants with hearing loss (no restrictions on origin)). Participants will listen to naturally recorded music and speech via headphones. They will be asked to rate these stimuli on a scale from 0 to 10 in terms of pleasure and comprehension, using a keyboard and mouse or voice input. Additionally, they will be required to sing or produce novel/improvised vocal responses using high-fidelity microphones. This entire procedure will be conducted under electroencephalography (EEG) to record neuronal responses throughout the process.

ListenFuture, a nation-wide multidisciplinary project, brings new knowledge on complex associations between listening, cognition, language, literacy, and psychosocial wellbeing in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents. Earlier findings indicate that DHH adolescents remain at a risk to achieving age-appropriate skills. The associations among these skills can also be language-dependent. The investigators use behavioral methods and questionnaires. The investigators study speech perception in noise, listening, and listening-related fatigue to reveal how DHH adolescents cope in today's noisy environment. The investigators study cognitive skills and executive functions, spoken language and literacy skills to find out the current state-of-knowledge. The investigators study psychosocial wellbeing, school burnout and factors associated with them. The investigators will utilize supervised and interpretable machine learning to analyse the performance domains that could best predict the outcomes of DHH adolescents. The investigators expect our project to have broad societal impact for DHH adolescents, healthcare, school, and other stakeholders.

This research study is evaluating two different methods of cochlear implant (CI) insertion - robotic-assisted insertion and manual insertion - to better understand how they affect hearing outcomes. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive their cochlear implant using one of these two techniques. Both methods are performed in a standard operating room by qualified surgeons, and both are considered safe and approved for use. The main goal is to compare how well participants hear one year after surgery based on the insertion method used. The study will also look at things like surgical time, inner ear health, and how the hearing nerve responds. All participants will receive the same type of cochlear implant device and follow-up care. This study may help guide future surgical techniques and improve outcomes for individuals receiving cochlear implants.