Hearing Loss

Does first-ever hearing aid fitting change social participation? Using a mixed methods approach made up of audiological assessments (hearing test and examination of the ear canal and eardrum), questionnaires, semi-structured interview and surveys, the study aims to gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the experiences (in the first 12-13 months) of initial hearing aid users in relation to their social participation. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE The primary outcome measures will be to compare scores on the ecological momentary assessment (EMA) ratings of social engagement and experience for social participation situations over the course of a participant's 13-month involvement in the study. Differences in an individual's social networks analysis (SNA) will be examined in this longitudinal study to see if there are changes in social structure over time. This will involve looking at the network size, number of connections related to activities someone does, how they feel about the social connections and the support they get from their social network. Assessing longitudinal changes in: * International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) questionnaire - effectiveness of hearing aid(s). * Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory (RHHI) - emotional and social impacts of hearing loss. * Social Participation Restrictions Questionnaire (SPaRQ) - how hearing limits social life * The Hearing-Related Lifestyle Questionnaire (HEARLI-Q) - the influence of hearing ability in everyday listening situations. Qualitative outcome measures - investigating the semi-structured interview and open text box response answers over the longitudinal study to explore personal perspectives, motivations and responses to questions related to social participation difficulties and avoidance, using reflexive thematic analysis

Background: Many disorders of the head and neck can affect a person s hearing; balance; smell; taste; swallowing; voice; or speech. These disorders include cancers and genetic and inflammatory diseases. To find better ways to diagnose and treat these disorders, researchers need to study tissues and other biological samples from people who have them. Objective: To collect biological samples for a repository that will be used for research. Eligibility: People of any age with a disorder of the head and neck that requires the taking of biological samples. The conditions may be any that affect hearing; balance; smell; taste; swallowing; voice; or speech. Design: Part 1: Participants will give permission for their leftover tissue samples to be used for research. These are tissue samples from the head and neck that were collected in the course of routine tests and care or other research studies. Information on each participant s age, diagnosis, and previous treatments will also be collected. Part 2: Some participants may be asked for more samples. All those aged 3 years or older will have a physical exam. They will provide blood and saliva samples. A cotton swab or brush will be used to collect cells from the inside of the cheek. Participants 18 years or older may have additional tests. They may provide nasal secretions: A piece of gelfoam or a sponge will be placed in the nose to soak up secretions for 5 to 10 minutes. They may have biopsies: Small samples of tissue will be cut from the skin and the tissue lining the mouth. Samples may be used for genetic testing.

HearVA involves six VA facility emergency departments (ED) over a 3-year intervention period. The first part of this study will test whether providing personal amplifiers to Veteran ED patients who self-report hearing difficulty is acceptable to these patients, can improve their hearing, enhance understanding of discharge instructions, and can reduce the risk of coming back to the ED in a short period of time (3 days and 30 days). The second part of the study will then identify whether ED staff can implement this program and achieve similar results. The second part will give ED staff increasing levels of responsibility for screening Veterans for hearing difficulty and providing personal amplifiers when such difficulty is detected.

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.

The purpose of this study is to determine if hearing aid use helps adults with "normal" hearing on clinical hearing tests (i.e., pure-tone audiogram), but who report hearing trouble in everyday life. Another purpose is to understand what factors and hearing aid features provide the most help for these people.

In the past two decades, the selection criteria for cochlear implantation have been greatly relaxed so that about 60-70% of present cochlear implant (CI) candidates have significant residual hearing in their contralateral ear. However, contralateral hearing is often not considered in rehabilitation programs, mainly due to the lack of scientific evidence on the role it may play. The present project aims to better understand the mechanisms of perceptual learning of CI-processed speech after implantation and to develop and test rehabilitation strategies for CI users.

The goal of this study is to better understand if, in patients with mild to moderate hearing loss who are also experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids: 1. improve communication 2. Whether the magnitude of benefit depends on the patient's level of cognitive disability, 3. Whether alternative remediation (such as targeted communication strategies) offer similar benefits. Participants and a communication partner will be randomized into an OTC first or Communication Strategies first arm, where participants will receive communication strategy information customized for those with cognitive impairment.

Background: Cisplatin is used to treat head and neck cancer. People who take this drug are at risk for hearing loss. Atorvastatin is a drug used to treat high cholesterol. It might reduce the risk of cisplatin-induced hearing loss. Objective: To find out if atorvastatin reduces hearing loss in people treated with cisplatin and radiation. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who will undergo treatment with cisplatin-based chemotherapy and radiation Design: Participants will be screened with their medical records. Participants currently taking a cholesterol-lowering statin medication are invited to participate in the observational arm of the study. Those not taking such a medication are invited to participate in the interventional arm of the study. All participants will have 3 study visits for the purpose of evaluating hearing. One before starting cisplatin treatment, one within 3 months of completing cancer treatment, and one within 2 years of completing cancer treatment. They will have tympanograms. A small flexible tip will be placed in the ear canal. A puff of air will be delivered to assess mobility of the ear drum. They will have hearing tests. They will wear headphones. They will listen to tones that vary in loudness. They will be asked to indicate when they hear a sound. They will complete 3 questionnaires at the time of each hearing test. Participants will have 2 visits for blood tests. These will occur upon consent and 12 weeks after. They will be randomly assigned to take the study drug or placebo orally, once daily. They will take it during cisplatin treatment and for 3 months after treatment. Long-term follow up will include a chart review 2 years after participants complete their cisplatin therapy.

This cohort study aims to explore the trends and differences in multidimensional perceptual levels of patients after cochlear implants or gene therapy, as well as to comprehensively assess the efficacy of gene therapy for congenital deafness, thus providing a reference for making a well-rounded postoperative rehabilitation protocol for gene therapy patients.

People with hearing loss experience extra effort when listening, which can lead to severe psychological barriers to communication and social participation. Listening effort can lead to fatigue, mental strain, burnout, medical sick leave, and the need for increased time to recover from regular daily activities. This proposal aims to understand effort changes on a moment-to-moment basis during listening, how long the effort lasts, and how the planning and execution of effort is impacted by the experience of using a cochlear implant.

Background: People with hearing, balance, and taste, smell, voice, speech, language, and other Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) disorders may seek treatment at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Some of these people may benefit from enrolling in the NIDCD intramural research program to receive their care. Enrolling will also allow investigators to collect participants clinical data and specimens for future research. Objective: This natural history study has 2 goals: (1) to collect data and specimens that may be used for research; and (2) to evaluate participants who may be candidates for other research studies. Eligibility: People aged 2 years or older with a hearing, balance, and communication disorder. Those at risk or who are suspected of having such a disorder are also eligible. Design: Participants will be screened. Their medical records will be reviewed. Participants will agree to have their medical data used for research. Specimens such as blood or other tissue samples may also be used for research. All data and specimens will be collected during their routine care visits. All tests done will be the normal care for each participant s condition. No tests will be done solely for research. Some of these tests may require blood or tissue samples. Some may use special tools to test hearing and balance. Some may test heart or lung function. These tests may also include different types of imaging scans. All tests will be explained. Participants may ask questions at any time. Participants may remain in this study for up to 2 years. If they need further care, they may sign a new consent. ...

The purpose of this clinical investigation is to develop pre-processing strategies to enhance speech and reduce noise for CI listeners. The Clinical Investigation will be comprised of several arms which will aim to optimize speech enhancement algorithms, to improve real-world functionality, and to incorporate them efficiently into CI speech processors.

Early Age-Related Hearing Loss Investigation (EARHLI) is a single site study that will randomize late middle age adults to either a hearing intervention (including hearing aids) or a health education intervention. Participants will be followed for 1 year. This study will provide information on reducing cognitive decline in those at risk for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a Community Health Worker (CHW) delivered hearing loss intervention program (HEARS) for older adults in Maryland in collaboration with community organizations.

Hearing tests are crucial for a child's development, but the standard test, Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA), often doesn't work for those with social communication disorders (SCD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A standardised filtering tool has been developed. Understanding how the results from this new music test compare to standard test results, particularly in people with hearing loss, is critical to establishing the fundamental psychoacoustic threshold relationship. This basic science research validates the acoustic methodology before any future clinical diagnostic application can be considered

The goal of this interventional clinical study is to investigate the use of mild therapeutic hypothermia for preservation of residual hearing in cochlear implant surgery. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: 1. Is mild therapeutic hypothermia safe for use during cochlear implantation? 2. Is mild therapeutic hypothermia effective at preserving residual hearing after cochlear implantation? Participants will receive mild therapeutic hypothermia therapy during cochlear implant surgery. Researchers will compare results from those receiving the therapy to those from a control group (individuals receiving no therapy).

Background: Hereditary hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disabilities affecting newborns. The main options for people with hereditary hearing loss are hearing aids and cochlear implants. Both options have their limitations and do not restore biological hearing. Researchers want to learn if gene editing might be a treatment option. Objective: To understand the genes that cause non-syndromic autosomal dominant hearing loss (DFNA) in people with DFNA as well as their family members. Eligibility: People age 3 99 who have DFNA, affected family members of enrolled participants with DFNA, and unaffected family members of enrolled participants Design: Participants will be screened with a medical and hearing history. Their medical records will be reviewed. Participants will have hearing tests. They will wear headphones or earplugs. They will listen to tones, sounds, and words and may be asked to describe what they hear. Participants will have balance tests. For these, they will wear googles as they watch moving lights or as cold or warm air is blown into their ears. They will sit in a spinning chair in a quiet, dark booth. From a reclined position, they will raise their head while listening to clicking sounds. Participants will have blood drawn through a needle in the arm. Some blood will be used for gene testing. Some participants will have 2 skin biopsies. The skin will be washed, and a numbing medicine will be injected. Two small pieces of skin will be removed. Participants may have a physical exam. Participation will last for up to 20 years. Participants may give medical updates once a year.

The purpose of this study is to advance hearing care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through the rigorous evaluation and optimization of innovative interventions and technologies. This study encompasses the following key aim: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a WhatsApp-delivered AI-enabled support and acclimatization programme for adults receiving preset hearing aids in low-resource community settings. The AI-enabled programme combines two complementary components delivered through the same WhatsApp channel: (i) a structured push programme of 16 voice notes and images delivered over four weeks, and (ii) an on-demand artificial-intelligence (AI) conversational support agent available throughout the four-week intervention period. The primary objective is to determine whether this WhatsApp-delivered AI-enabled programme results in superior hearing aid self-efficacy compared to receiving the equivalent core information in a paper-based pamphlet at the time of fitting. By comparing hearing aid self-efficacy, hearing aid outcomes, and user engagement between the intervention (WhatsApp AI-enabled) and control (paper-based) groups, this study seeks to establish whether AI-enabled digital delivery provides superior support and leads to better self-efficacy for first-time hearing aid users compared to traditional paper-based methods.

The goal of this mixed methods clinical trial is to determine whether a Clinically Streamlined and Structured Aural Rehabilitation (CSSAR) intervention improves hearing aid outcomes for new adult users, age 55 years and older, of entry-level hearing aid technology compared with adults who receive standard audiological care. The main questions are: 1. Does the CSSAR intervention result in greater hearing aid benefit, improved aided speech-in-noise performance, and reduced self-perceived hearing handicap among adult users of entry-level hearing aids compared with those who receive standard care, such as a hearing aid evaluation, fitting, and orientation, without a structured aural rehabilitation program? 2. How do new adult users of entry-level hearing aids perceive audiological care practices with and without the CSSAR intervention? Participants will be asked to complete four to five sessions. These sessions may include baseline testing, participation in the CSSAR intervention, two follow-up sessions, and a focus group. For participants in the intervention group, the CSSAR intervention will include a training session with a primary communication partner, followed by use of a mobile auditory training program.

This study is a combined retro- and prospective, single arm, multicentre investigation designed to follow clinical practice for Ponto-implantations performed out of OR. The overall objective is to investigate the complication rate for procedures performed out-of-OR.

This cross-sectional population-based survey will be conducted among residents aged 65 years and older in Xinxing County, Yunfu, Guangdong Province, China. The study will use standardized eye examinations, visual acuity and refractive assessment, anterior segment examination, hearing screening and questionnaires to estimate effective refractive error coverage, effective cataract surgical coverage, effective hearing technology coverage, common eye disease status, and dual sensory impairment among older adults. The findings are intended to provide evidence for primary-level eye and hearing health services.

This randomized controlled study investigates whether activating a cochlear implant on the day of surgery (same-day activation) leads to faster stabilization of cochlear implant programming compared with the current standard practice of activation approximately 14 days after surgery. Adult cochlear implant recipients at Aarhus University Hospital will be randomly assigned to either same-day activation or standard activation. The study will evaluate electrode impedance development, time to a stable cochlear implant map, changes in programming parameters, hearing outcomes, tinnitus, quality of life, rehabilitation progress, and safety. The purpose of the study is to determine whether earlier activation can facilitate faster auditory rehabilitation and optimization of cochlear implant settings without increasing complications or patient discomfort.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of drug SPI-1005 in adults receiving a cochlear implant with a long electrode array (FLEX26 or greater) from MED-EL Cochlear Implant Systems into one ear. The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is: Is drug SPI-1005 safe and well-tolerated in adults receiving a cochlear implant, and/or what medical problems might participants experience when taking drug SPI-1005? The clinical trial will also measure the effects of SPI-1005 on hearing, word recognition, speech discrimination, tinnitus, and vertigo outcomes after receiving a cochlear implant. The purpose for this and future clinical trials is to learn whether SPI-1005 can prevent or treat these side effects after receiving a cochlear implant. Participants will take drug SPI-1005 or placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) for 6 months, starting 2 days before receiving the cochlear implant. There are 5 required in-clinic visits over 6 months for audiology and other tests. The effects of SPI-1005 will be compared to the placebo (the look-alike substance that contains no drug) to study what effects SPI-1005 might have.

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the safety and effectiveness of cochlear implantation in infants and toddlers with single-sided deafness. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Are cochlear implants an effective treatment of single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? * Are cochlear implants a safe treatment for single-sided deafness in infants and toddlers? Participants will receive a cochlear implant and be followed until they are five years old. During those five years, the investigators will program the device and monitor auditory development. Children will be asked to: * Undergo cochlear implantation * Wear their cochlear implant processor whenever they are awake. * Participate in traditional hearing tests * Participate in traditional hearing testing * Participate in localization testing * Participate in hearing in noise testing * Participate in word recognition testing * Participate in speech, language, and educational evaluations The researchers will compare results to children with typical hearing in both ears and children with single-sided deafness who have not received an implant to observe any differences between the groups.

This bidirectional observational cohort study aims to establish a Hearing and Brain Development (HBD) cohort in children and adolescents with hearing loss across different hearing management pathways, including hearing aid fitting, cochlear implantation, auditory brainstem implantation, gene therapy, and follow-up without intervention, as well as in a normal-hearing control group. Participants will undergo longitudinal assessments of hearing, speech, language, neurodevelopment, and multimodal brain function.