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Investigation of Anatomical Correlates of Speech Discrimination

NCT01781039 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 186

Last updated 2026-03-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Understanding speech is essential for good communication. Individuals with hearing loss and poor speech discrimination often have little success with hearing aids because amplifying sound improves audibility, but not clarity of the speech signal. The purpose of this study is to determine the relative importance of the sensory cells of the inner ear and auditory neurons on speech discrimination performance in quiet and in noise. This information may be used as a predictor of hearing aid benefit. The investigators expect to find decreased speech understanding ability resulting from both loss of sensory cells and the loss of auditory neurons.

Conditions

  • Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Interventions

DEVICE

Hearing Aid fitting

Subjects with hfPTAs ranging from 0-55 dB HL will be recruitedwith 100 persons self-reporting difficulty HIN (\> 50% of the time), and 100 persons reporting little difficulty HIN (\< 50% of the time) will be randomly assigned to one of five groups (n = 200) based on enabled HA features using an online random assignment tool. Unaided HIQ and HIN assessments will be conducted in the sound field, and baseline DPOAE and CAP assessments will be measured. Subjects will be fit with binaural premium level receiver-in-the canal HAs (Phonak B90 or equivalent model at the start of the study) with 56 dB SPL gain receivers, using closed domes, and programmed to NAL-NL2 target gain, and randomly assigned to the groups.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center of Boston, Inc.

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Mark Parker, PhD · Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
100 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-01-01
Primary Completion
2019-12-12
Completion
2019-12-12

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01781039 on ClinicalTrials.gov