New Approach to Objectively Measure Social Engagement in Older Adults With Hearing Loss

Conditions

• Hearing Loss, Bilateral (Causes Other Than Tumors)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

60 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Hearing aid use — DEVICE
  Hearing aid use will be discussed with all eligible participants with hearing loss and will be encouraged to pursue hearing aid fitting through standard clinical indications via participants' insurance and audiologists.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if hearing devices, like hearing aids, affect social and cognitive function of older adults. The main questions the researchers want to answer are: * How social are older adults with hearing loss before and after using hearing devices? * How well do older adults with hearing loss think before and after using hearing devices? * For older adults who have hearing loss and use hearing devices, do changes in social interaction explain changes in how well they think (cognitive function)? * Do brainwaves (EEGs) in older adults with hearing loss change after using hearing devices? * Are there differences in how social older adults with hearing loss are compared to older adults without hearing loss? What Participants Will Do: * Participants will take questionnaires for around 60 minutes. Questionnaires will ask participants about their background, health, hearing, and how social they are. Another set of questionnaires will check their thinking ability or cognition. * Participants will wear an audio sensor (TILES Audio Recorder on Jelly Mobile phone) for 2 weeks. The sensor will collect and store information about a participant's voice during conversations. Once the device has information about a participant's voice such as pitch and tone it will store this information and delete the audio recording. Words spoken during conversations will be deleted. * (Optional) Participants can choose to participate in a 45-60-minute EEG (electroencephalogram) recording session. Participants will have sensors placed on top of their heads. Sensors will record the participants' brainwaves. Sounds will be played to see how participants' brainwaves change when they hear sounds. Eligible participants will be invited to participate in 4-month follow-up study.

Key Dates

Start date

Jan 1, 2026

Status verified

May 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2027

Completion

Jun 30, 2030

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants (estimated)

Arms

• Arm: Adults with bilateral hearing loss (hearing aid users)
  Participants with bilateral hearing loss (defined as those with speech-frequency pure-tone average \>=25 dB HL bilaterally) and currently using hearing aids.
• Arm: Adults without hearing loss
  Hearing loss defined as speech-frequency pure-tone average \>=25 dB HL bilaterally
• Arm: Adults with hearing loss (non-hearing aid users)
  Participants with bilateral hearing loss (defined as those with speech-frequency pure-tone average \>=25 dB HL bilaterally) and not currently using hearing aids.

Primary Outcome Measure

Audio sensor- speech activity [ Time Frame: Baseline and 4-month after hearing aid use ]

Central Contacts

• Janet Choi, MD, MPH
  323-442-5790
  [email protected]

Locations (2)

Find similar trials in Los Angeles, CA

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