Exploiting the Potential of Neural Attentional Control to Overcome Hearing Impairment

Summary

This study will improve the understanding of the cerebral mechanisms that underlie the control of auditory selective attention and evaluate the potential of neuromodulation to enhance neural attention control as a possible way to overcome hearing impairment.

First, electroencephalography (EEG) will be applied to identify neural marker of auditory attention in individuals with hearing loss (HL), tinnitus (TI) and normal hearing (NH). Afterwards, the importance of the identified markers for attention control will be tested using non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and neurofeedback (NF).

Conditions

• Hearing Loss
• Attention Impaired
• Tinnitus

Interventions

DEVICE

tACS - transcranial alternating current stimulation

TACS is a non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques that belong to the class of low current transcranial electric stimulation. In contrast to the better known transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the tACS current is not constant, but alternates with a certain frequency. The stimulation will be applied over the left temporo-parietal cortex at participants' individual alpha frequency. The stimulation intensity will be 2 milliampere (mA, peak-to-peak value, corresponding to a sine wave of ±1 mA amplitude). Stimulation will be delivered through conductive rubber electrodes.

DEVICE

sham - transcranial alternating current stimulation

During "sham stimulation" (placebo), tACS will be ramped up and down for 12 seconds , that is, no electric stimulation wil be applied during the actual experiment. The up and down ramping will be repeated at the end of the experiment. The sham condition serves to evoke sensations associated with tACS stimulation, but without stimulating during the actual experiment.

DEVICE

NF - Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback (NF) is a non-invasive approach that combines neurophysiological recordings with real-time sensory feedback (most studies use visual feedback). Through real-time NF, individuals thus can learn to regulate their brain activity. In this study, NF will be based on concurrent EEG recordings. During NF, participants will observe a space ship automatically navigating through a narrow tunnel. The modulation of their neural alpha power lateralization into the trained direction will be rewarded by the acceleration of the space ship, a modulation in the opposite direction will reduce speed and autopilot accuracy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Luebeck

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Zurich

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Basil Preisig, Dr. · University of Zurich

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-11-01

Primary Completion

2026-04-30

Completion

2026-04-30

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations