Improving Speech in Noise Perception for Individuals With Age-related Hearing Loss

N/ARecruitingNCT07192757

University of Florida36 enrolled

Overview

Hearing loss, especially for speech perception in the presence of noise, may lead older individuals to withdraw from social situations. While hearing aids help amplify sound and are useful in many situations, they can be ineffective in noisy contexts. The proposed pilot study will evaluate taVNS for improving speech in noise perception in adults with age-related hearing loss.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Presbycusis

Interventions

transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulationDEVICE

active electrical stimulation applied to the cymba conchae of the left ear

Sham ControlDEVICE

electrical stimulation applied to a location on the ear not innervated by the auricular vagus

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 55 YearsMax age: 80 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults 55-80 years old * Normal hearing or age-related hearing loss (with or without hearing aids) Exclusion Criteria: * History of traumatic brain injury or noise trauma * Implanted medical devices (eg., pacemaker) or ferrous metal * Known history of heart conditions * Medications that impact neurotransmitters released by vagus nerve stimulation

Locations (1)

UF Health at the University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida, United States

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Speech in noise performance

Percent correct on a speech in noise perception task in participants receiving Treatment A compared to Treatment B

Time frame: 2 weeks

Central Contacts

Tracy Centanni, PhD

CONTACT

3522948675 tracy.centanni@phhp.ufl.edu

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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