Optimizing Soft Speech Recognition in Children With Hearing Loss

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Hearing Loss, Sensorineural, Hearing Loss, Bilateral

In brief

Overhearing is important for vocabulary learning and speech and language development in young children. However, contemporary hearing aids are generally unable to provide adequate access to low-level auditory inputs from multiple talkers at a distance to capitalize on overhearing. A recent investigation by Jace Wolfe and colleagues showed that, even when aided, children with hearing loss had significantly poorer speech recognition at 40, 50 and 60 dBA compared to children with normal hearing. Furthermore, they showed that increasing hearing aid gain for very low-level inputs produced a statistically significant improvement in syllable-final plural recognition and a non-significant trend toward better monosyllabic word recognition at very low presentation levels. Additional research is needed to document low-level speech recognition ability of children with hearing loss as well as the potential benefit or detriment of increasing hearing aid gain for low-level inputs. A novel hearing aid technology known as Soft Speech Enhancer has been shown improve low-level speech perception in adults with hearing loss; however, the effect of Speech Enhancer on speech recognition in children is not yet known and will be evaluated.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT05299892

Run by

Sonova AG

People needed

36

Starts

2022-03-21

Expected to finish

2022-10-14

Last updated by the study team

2023-12-14

Who can join

Age: 4 and older, up to 12. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• native English speakers who communicate verbally
• no known speech language disorders, cognitive or learning issues
• experienced hearing aid users (> 6 months use)
• "full-time" hearing aid users (i.e., wear on a daily basis)
• CNC word scores of 30% or better at 50dBA in quiet with SE "off"

You may not qualify if…

• new hearing aid users
• inconsistent hearing aid users
• <4 years or >12 years of age
• non-native English speaker who communicates verbally
• known cognitive/ learning issues or speech language disorder
• CNC word scores < 30% correct presented at 50dBA in quiet with SE "off"

Where it is running

• Hearts for Hearing — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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