How listening in noisy environments affects sentence understanding in school-age children

Association between Speech Perception in Noise and Sentence Comprehension in School-age children

NIH-funded research Utah State University · NIH-11053498

This study is looking at how well kids aged 7 to 11 can understand speech when there's background noise and how things like attention and memory play a role in that, especially for those who might struggle with hearing or processing sounds.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUtah State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Logan, United States)
Project IDNIH-11053498 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the relationship between children's ability to understand speech in noisy environments and their overall sentence comprehension. By integrating auditory processing, cognitive, and linguistic factors, the study aims to understand how these elements interact and affect listening skills in children aged 7 to 11. The researchers will assess 130 children, focusing on how attention, lexical knowledge, and working memory influence their ability to comprehend sentences amidst background noise. This approach seeks to provide insights into the challenges faced by children with auditory processing disorders and related difficulties.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are school-age children between 7 to 11 years old who experience challenges in understanding speech in noisy settings.

Not a fit: Children who do not exhibit any listening difficulties or have significant hearing impairments may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for helping children with listening difficulties, enhancing their language comprehension and academic performance.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has indicated that understanding the interplay between auditory processing and cognitive factors can lead to significant advancements in addressing listening difficulties in children.

Where this research is happening

Logan, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acoustic Perceptual Disorder
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.