NCT05656313

Brief Summary

The investigation proposes to compare a narrow reference beamformer to a novel beamformer approach, when the talker is not in front of the hearing aid user and in the presence of background noise. The beamformer effect will be determined in terms of speech intelligibility, listening effort and ability to multitask when the talkers are located on the side or in the back.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
22

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Nov 2022

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 3, 2022

Completed
13 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

November 16, 2022

Completed
1 month until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

December 19, 2022

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 31, 2023

Completed
17 days until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

February 17, 2023

Completed
Last Updated

March 27, 2023

Status Verified

December 1, 2022

Enrollment Period

3 months

First QC Date

November 16, 2022

Last Update Submit

March 24, 2023

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Difference in speech intelligibility between the reference beamformer and the novel beamformer approach (percentage of correct responses in word recognition) in a noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind.

    Two directional conditions (better ear side, back) and two beamformer conditions (Novel approach: SpeechSensor, Reference: StereoZoom) are tested (test and retest, eight measurements in total).

    4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Difference in speech recognition threshold between the reference beamformer and the novel (mean value of 10 repetitions).

    4 weeks

  • Difference in multitasking ability between the reference beamformer and the novel (1. Respond on two trigger words / 2. Respond on a target sign).

    4 weeks

  • Difference in subjective speech intelligibility between the reference beamformer and the novel (subjects rate his/her perception of the presented speech).

    4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Narrow reference beamformer

EXPERIMENTAL
Device: Measures of speech intelligibility in a noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (measured with CC-OLSA Test)Device: Measures of the subjective speech recognition threshold in a noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (measured with HEISS test)Device: Ability to multitask in the auditory and visual domains in noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (Multitask test)Device: Measure of subjective speech intelligibility and listening effort in noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (subjective assessment; 100-point scale)

Novel beamformer approach

ACTIVE COMPARATOR
Device: Measures of speech intelligibility in a noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (measured with CC-OLSA Test)Device: Measures of the subjective speech recognition threshold in a noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (measured with HEISS test)Device: Ability to multitask in the auditory and visual domains in noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (Multitask test)Device: Measure of subjective speech intelligibility and listening effort in noisy situation with speech from the side and from behind (subjective assessment; 100-point scale)

Interventions

The Concurrent OLSA test (CC-OLSA) is a speech recognition test with three turn-taking talkers presenting sentences of the Oldenburg sentences test at fixed signal-to-noise ratios. CC-OLSA is the only one-talker-at-a-time speech test that is sensitive at the desired SNR and uses sentences with an intelligibility function with slopes of 10-17 %/dB.

Narrow reference beamformerNovel beamformer approach

The measure of the subjective speech recognition threshold is an alternative procedure to evaluate the subjective speech intelligibility in different listening conditions. The subjective speech recognition threshold is defined as the speech presentation level of running speech needed to just follow conversation. Subjects have to adjust the presentation level of speech so that they are just able to understand the speech, using a slider on a touch screen. This adjustment is repeated 10 times. Each adjustment results in a value for the subjective speech recognition threshold in dB SNR. The outcome measure is the mean value of the 10 repetitions. The HEISS-Test will be repeated four times for the secondary objective: test for 2 test conditions (Reference, novel approach) against 2 target directions (better ear side, back).

Narrow reference beamformerNovel beamformer approach

This test uses a dual-task-paradigm assessing vigilance for auditory and visual triggers concurrently. The primary task is to listen to a novel (Harry Potter) and respond on two trigger words by pressing the appropriate button (one in each hand). The secondary task is to observe a monitor showing a sequence of random signs and respond on a target sign by pressing both buttons. The test includes at least 100 triggers (50 auditory, 50 visual) and takes 10 minutes per condition (side vs. back; novel approach vs. reference; 40 minutes in total). The multitask test will be repeated four times for the secondary objective: 2 conditions (Refrence, novel approach) against 2 target directions (better ear side, back). Following data are provided from each multitask Test measure: (1) subjective rating of the perceived ability to perform the visual and the auditory test simultaneously. (2) reaction times to auditory and visual tasks, and (3) accuracy.

Narrow reference beamformerNovel beamformer approach

In addition to the tests mentioned above a subjective assessment will be used to determine the subjective perception as this measure is often a good indication for clinical relevance. For this purpose, the same speech material as used in the HEISS-test is presented by a loudspeaker in the same noisy environment as in the other three tests. The subjects rate his/her perception of the presented speech using a questionnaire on the dimensions "listen effort and speech intelligibility". The subject will rate his perception on the 100 point scale with pencils with different colors to get either absolute and relative ratings. The subjective assessment will be repeated four times for the secondary objective: 2 test conditions (Rference and novel approach) against 2 target directions (better ear side, back). Following data are provided from assessment: rating on a 100-point scale per condition and per dimension.

Narrow reference beamformerNovel beamformer approach

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Experienced (minimum use duration 6 months)
  • Adult (minimum age: 18 years) hearing aid users,
  • Written and spoken German,
  • Ability to understand instruction,
  • Ability to perform tests successfully
  • Ability to describe listening experiences,
  • Ability to attend to the appointments,
  • Healthy outer ear,
  • Moderat to severe Hearing
  • Informed consent as documented by signature.

You may not qualify if:

  • Clinical contraindications deformity of the ear (closed ear canal or absence of pinna),
  • Known hypersensitivity or allergy,
  • Not willing to wear the hearing aid,
  • Fluctuating hearing that could influence the results.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH

Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, 26129, Germany

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hearing Loss, BilateralHearing Loss, Unilateral

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hearing LossHearing DisordersEar DiseasesOtorhinolaryngologic DiseasesSensation DisordersNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

  • Matthias Latzel

    Sonova AG

    STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NON RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Sponsor Type
INDUSTRY
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

November 16, 2022

First Posted

December 19, 2022

Study Start

November 3, 2022

Primary Completion

January 31, 2023

Study Completion

February 17, 2023

Last Updated

March 27, 2023

Record last verified: 2022-12

Locations