Helping people hear one voice in noisy, multi-talker places using spatial hearing
Spatial Hearing in Speech Mixtures
['FUNDING_R01'] · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · NIH-11239012
This project works to help people with hearing loss understand speech better in busy places (like restaurants) by improving how hearing aids use spatial and timing cues.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11239012 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers will compare different hearing-aid amplification strategies to make brief, useful bits of speech (
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with sensorineural hearing loss who have trouble following speech in multi-talker environments and who use or are willing to try hearing-aid strategies in lab tests.
Not a fit: People with normal hearing or those whose hearing loss is so severe that amplification is not helpful (for example, candidates for cochlear implants) may not benefit from these specific amplification-focused improvements.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make hearing aids help users follow conversations in noisy, crowded places more reliably.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies show that spatial cues and focusing on brief 'glimpses' of speech can help in lab settings, but current hearing aids still often fail in real-world multi-talker situations, so this work builds on promising but incomplete evidence.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BEST, VIRGINIA ANN — BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- Study coordinator: BEST, VIRGINIA ANN
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.