Hearing Loss
Conditions
Brief summary
The stimuli consist of speech in quiet, speech in noise, reverberant speech, and music recorded with different hearing aid settings, post-processed for headphone presentation and incorporated in an online sound survey. Participants will receive tablets and headphones to conduct a sound quality rating at home. The survey will involve a training session and within-subject repeated measures. Stimuli presentation will be randomized by sound quality rating tool.
Interventions
DEVICERecording with hearing aid
Each participant will listen to sound samples via headphones. Sound samples have been recorded with a hearing aid that was set to each participant's individual hearing loss and different amplification strategies, and an unaided reference. Participants will be asked to rate different aspects of sound quality while listening to the different sound samples.
Sponsors
Sonova Canada Inc.
Sonova AG
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Masking description
The acoustic output of the different devices had been recorded and the recordings have been presented in random order (random order created by the sound survey algorithm) to the participants in a digital sound survey, so neither the researcher nor the participant knew which recording the participant was listening to when rating.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Adults (18-99 years) with ≥3 months hearing aid experience * binaural, symmetric, sensorineural N3 to N4 hearing loss * able to use Android interface and receive a video call on phone/computer * fluent in English
Exclusion criteria
* children/teenagers * normal hearing or hearing loss exceeding N4 by 10dB * cannot wear over-ear headphones
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality Rating | 1 hour | Participants moved through a self-guided, double-blinded sound survey which presented sound samples of all hearing aid conditions (see Arms/Groups for conditions) and asked participants to rate the sound quality dimensions on a scale. The rating dimensions and scales were based on a sound quality rating guidance document by Delta Labs (Danmark) ranging from 0 to 100 with step sizes of 1 and descriptive markers at 0 (worst), 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 (best) depending on the dimension (Reverberation (only assessed for Speech in Quiet and Reverberant Speech), Sound Source Localization, Sound Source Separation, and Timbral Balance). Overall Preference was implemented as a ranking according to the 5-point Mean Opinion Score (bad (1), poor (2), fair (3), good (4), excellent (5); MOS, International Telecommunication Union, 1996). |
Countries
Canada
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Complete Sample Each participant will listen to sound samples via headphones. Sound samples have been recorded with each of the devices listed under intervention which were set to each participant's individual hearing loss, and an unaided reference. Participants will be asked to rate different aspects of sound quality while listening to the different sound samples. | 11 |
| Total | 11 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Complete Sample | — |
|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 68 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 13 | — |
| Good cognitive abilities | 11 Participants | — |
| Hearing aid experience | 17 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 10 | — |
| Hearing loss | 11 Participants | — |
| Normal or corrected to normal vision | 11 Participants | — |
| Race and Ethnicity Not Collected | — | — Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 7 Participants | — |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 4 Participants | — |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 12 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 12 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 12 |
Outcome results
Primary
Sound Quality Rating
Participants moved through a self-guided, double-blinded sound survey which presented sound samples of all hearing aid conditions (see Arms/Groups for conditions) and asked participants to rate the sound quality dimensions on a scale. The rating dimensions and scales were based on a sound quality rating guidance document by Delta Labs (Danmark) ranging from 0 to 100 with step sizes of 1 and descriptive markers at 0 (worst), 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 (best) depending on the dimension (Reverberation (only assessed for Speech in Quiet and Reverberant Speech), Sound Source Localization, Sound Source Separation, and Timbral Balance). Overall Preference was implemented as a ranking according to the 5-point Mean Opinion Score (bad (1), poor (2), fair (3), good (4), excellent (5); MOS, International Telecommunication Union, 1996).
Time frame: 1 hour
Population: The median and IQR is presented for each sound quality dimension (Reverberation, Sound Source Separation, Sound Source Location and Overall) in sound scene (speech in quiet, speech in noise, speech in reverberance, music).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEDIAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in quiet | 62.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in noise | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in music | 65.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in quiet | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for reverberant speech | 3 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in quiet | 59 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in reverberant speech | 56.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in noise | 55 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in speech in quiet | 69 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in reverberant speech | 45.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for music | 3 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in noise | 74 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in reverberant speech | 50 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Default Amplification Strategy | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in music | 60.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in reverberant speech | 61 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in noise | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in music | 71.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in quiet | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in music | 69.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in quiet | 50.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in reverberant speech | 54.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in reverberant speech | 56 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in quiet | 59 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in speech in quiet | 55 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for music | 3 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in noise | 52 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for reverberant speech | 3 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in noise | 63 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for music | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in speech in quiet | 71 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in reverberant speech | 69.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in music | 66.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in reverberant speech | 70 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in quiet | 59.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in noise | 70 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in reverberant speech | 61 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in music | 68.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in quiet | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in noise | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for reverberant speech | 4 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in quiet | 61.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 1 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in noise | 65 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in music | 79.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in noise | 61 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in noise | 3 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in reverberant speech | 61 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for reverberant speech | 3.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in noise | 64.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for music | 4 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in reverberant speech | 70.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in quiet | 69 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in reverberant speech | 55.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in quiet | 55 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in music | 67.5 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in speech in quiet | 80 units on a scale |
| Hearing Aid 1 Strategy 2 | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in quiet | 4 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in reverberant speech | 39 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in reverberant speech | 40.5 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in reverberant speech | 49 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in noise | 1 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source localization in music | 44 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in noise | 30 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in noise | 43.5 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in music | 30 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for reverberant speech | 3 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for speech in quiet | 1 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source separation in speech in quiet | 29 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Reverberation in speech in quiet | 42 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Sound source location in speech in quiet | 25 units on a scale |
| Unaided | Sound Quality Rating | Overall Preference for music | 1 units on a scale |