Randomised Study of Web-Based Auditory Training With Varying Perceptual and Cognitive Demands on Training Gains and Generalised Speech, Cognitive, and Communication Outcomes

Summary

WP1: PLUS-Auditory Training

The goal of this experimental study is to better understand how task difficulty affects on-task learning thresholds and generalised benefits in two PLUS auditory training tasks involving perceptual and cognitive learning in adults aged 18+ (no upper age limit) with listening difficulties. The main question it aims to answer is:

* Does adjusting task difficulty in PLUS, by manipulating the perceptual and cognitive demands of the phonemic discrimination and competing speech tasks, affect on-task learning thresholds and off-task performance in adults with listening difficulties?

Researchers will compare the two experimental arms (easy/hard) to see whether adjusting task difficulty influences on-task learning thresholds and off-task performance.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to one of two training programs (phonemic discrimination or competing speech) within the two experimental arms (easy/hard);
* Perform training for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for two weeks (total 10 training sessions, 5 hours of training);
* Complete pre- and post- training assessments to measure on-task learning performance and change in performance for untrained measures of speech perception, cognition and self-reported outcomes.

WP2: Post-Training Focus Groups

The goal of this observational study is to gain in-depth qualitative insights into participants' motivations, experiences of task difficulty, and perceived benefits across the PLUS-AT training groups in adults aged 18+ (no upper age limit) with listening difficulties. The main question it aims to answer is:

* How do participants describe their experiences and perceptions of PLUS-AT, particularly regarding task difficulty and self-perceived changes in listening, hearing, thinking, and quality of life?

Researchers will explore participant experiences across the two experimental arms (easy/hard) to determine whether motivations for seeking auditory training, knowledge and beliefs about auditory training, attitudes toward PLUS-AT difficulty, and self-perceived changes in listening, hearing, thinking, and quality of life differ.

A subset of participants (n = 20) will:

* Be invited from WP1 to join one of four online focus groups (60-90 minutes via Microsoft Teams);
* Attend the focus group corresponding to their assigned training program (phonemic discrimination or competing-speech) within the two experimental arms (easy/hard);
* Share their experiences of completing PLUS-AT.

Conditions

• Hearing Loss

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Practice Listening and Understand Speech (PLUS)

PLUS is a web-based auditory training platform with two adaptive auditory-cognitive training tasks designed to improve listening and communication. Phonemic Discrimination: Phonemes are sounds (e.g. /ba/ vs /da/) that make words different (e.g. "bad" vs "dad"). Participants hear three sounds (e.g., /ba/, /ba/, /da/) from sound pairs (e.g. /ba/ and /da/), and must identify the sound that's different (/da/). Competing Speech: Two talkers produce similar sentences that differ by keywords. Participants are asked to focus on one talker (cued by a target visible on screen) while ignoring a second talker and report two keywords from a list of all possible options.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute for Health Research, United Kingdom

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• University of Nottingham

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Helen Henshaw, PhD · University of Nottingham

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-13

Primary Completion

2027-01-01

Completion

2027-02-01

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations