Do hearing aids help people understand speech and reduce listening effort?
Speech Understanding and Listening Effort Benefits of Infinio Sphere
This will test different hearing aids in adults with bilateral hearing loss to see if they improve speech understanding and make listening less tiring.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 95 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Sonova AG Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 1 site (Tampa, Florida) |
| Trial ID | NCT07116135 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Experienced adult hearing-aid users with bilateral N3 or N4 hearing loss will wear different hearing instruments and complete controlled, lab-based listening tasks. Researchers will measure speech-understanding performance, objective and subjective listening effort, and participants' device preferences. Testing occurs in-person with repeated comparisons across devices to identify consistent differences. The protocol aims to link specific device features or models to measurable improvements in understanding and reduced listening fatigue.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults age 18–95 with bilateral N3 or N4 hearing loss who are experienced hearing-aid users, fluent in English, and able to complete complex listening tasks are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with normal hearing, those outside the age or language requirements, individuals unable to complete complex listening tasks, or those who are not experienced hearing-aid users are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help people and clinicians choose hearing aids that improve speech understanding and reduce listening fatigue.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown some hearing aid technologies can improve speech understanding and lower listening effort, but head-to-head laboratory comparisons across multiple models are still limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult 18-95 years * N3 or N4 hearing loss * Experienced hearing aid user * English fluency * Cognitively able to complete complex listening tasks Exclusion Criteria: * Outside of specified age range * Vulnerable populations * Hearing within normal limits or otherwise not appropriate for hearing instruments under study * Inability to read, write, or speak English * Inability to complete complex listening tasks
Where this trial is running
Tampa, Florida
- University of South Florida Auditory Neurosciences & Technology Lab — Tampa, Florida, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Study Coordinator
- Email: ant-lab@usf.edu
- Phone: 813-974-4148
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.