Transcranial Stimulation + Auditory Training for Hearing Loss

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if non-invasive brain stimulation (called transcranial stimulation) can enhance the benefits from auditory training in people who struggle to understand one talker when many people are talking at the same time. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does transcranial stimulation improve speech-on-speech understanding in people who struggle with this task? * Does transcranial stimulation enhance the benefits of a commercially available auditory training program? Researchers will compare transcranial stimulation to sham stimulation (no stimulation is applied during the listening task). Participants will: * Receive login information to an online auditory training program to complete at home over 2 weeks * Visit the laboratory 4 times to receive transcranial stimulation while listening to speech-on-speech: once before at-home training, two times during the at-home training period, and once after at-home training has ended

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals with hearing loss, specifically those who have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Participants will need to complete an auditory training program at home and visit a lab four times for transcranial stimulation sessions.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 50 years old or older.

I have trouble understanding speech when there is background noise.

Able to read print on a computer screen

+3 more

Exclusion Criteria

English is not my first language.

History of skull fracture, scalp tissue damage, metallic implants around the head, seizures, neurological disorders, or traumatic brain injury, current or suspected pregnancy

Participant Groups

The study tests if transcranial stimulation can improve the ability to understand one person talking when there's background noise. It also examines whether this brain stimulation boosts the effects of an auditory training program compared to sham (fake) stimulation.

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: Active transcranial stimulationExperimental Treatment2 Interventions

This group will receive active transcranial alternating current stimulation that matches the envelope of the target speech.

Group II: Sham stimulationPlacebo Group1 Intervention

This group will receive transcranial stimulation that ramps on and off before the speech is presented.