Central Auditory Processing Deficits Associated With Blast Exposure

Completed

Conditions studied: Blast Injuries, Brain Injuries, Age Factors

In brief

The current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in unprecedented rates of exposure to high-intensity blasts and resulting brain injury. This research team has established that recently blast-exposed Soldiers show differences from controls on tests of central auditory function. This project will 1) develop a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of central auditory dysfunction among Veterans exposed to blasts over the past ten years, 2) identify the functional outcomes associated with abnormal performance on tests of central processing, and 3) improve understanding of the ways in which blast-exposure resembles and differs from both the normal aging process and non-blast-related TBI in terms of performance on tests of central auditory processing.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT01567020
Run by: VA Office of Research and Development
People needed: 105
Starts: 2012-05-01
Expected to finish: 2015-12-01
Last updated by the study team: 2019-06-14

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 90. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

Aged 18-90
Pure-tone sensitivity of 40 dB HL or better at all audiometric frequencies below 8 kHz
English as first language.
Group membership inclusion criteria:
Group 1: Blast exposed Veterans
Report having been exposed to high-intensity blast during the ten years prior to enrollment
Cognitive and physical ability to take part in these auditory evaluations
Group 2. Non-blast TBI group
Diagnosed with mild-to-moderate TBI
Group 3. Age matched control group -18-59 years.
Group 4. Older control group
60-90 years.
Older group will be aged 60 and older
Audiometric status of these groups will be required to meet the same exclusion criteria as that of the other two groups described above

You may not qualify if…

Evidence of conductive or retrocochlear dysfunction
Hearing loss exceeding pure-tone averages for frequencies of .5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz of 35 dB HL
-Hearing loss of greater than 40 dB HL at any one of these frequencies in either ear
Asymmetrical hearing thresholds exceeding 10 dB at any audiometric frequency below 4 kHz
Abnormal cognitive function as indicated by scores of 23 or below on the Mini Mental State Exam
Indications of clinical depression as evidenced by a score of 17 or greater on the Beck Depression Inventory

Where it is running

VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR — Portland, Oregon, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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