Hearing Aids for Children with One Good Ear

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This observational study follows children with unilateral hearing loss to see how earlier access to a hearing aid and early intervention affects hearing, language, and neural development. Researchers will collect hearing tests, language measures, and neural data over time to understand how auditory experience shapes development. By comparing earlier versus later or no intervention, the study aims to identify patterns that could guide audiology practices. The project involves multiple sites and excludes implanted devices due to imaging requirements. It is funded by a collaboration including academic centers and a national institute.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Children with normal hearing will have hearing thresholds from 0.25 - 8 kHz ≤15 dB HL in both ears.
* Children with normal hearing will have no history of neurodevelopmental, communication, or sensory disorders.
* Children with unilateral hearing loss will have hearing thresholds that meet the criterion for CNH in the better ear and three-frequency (.5, 1, \& 2 kHz) pure-tone average ≥ 20 - \<70 dB HL or two or more hearing thresholds ≥ 20 - \< 70 dB HL from 2-8 kHz in the poorer ear. H
* Children with unilateral hearing loss can have conductive, mixed, or sensorineural hearing loss.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with a cochlear implant, rerouting device, or an implanted bone conduction device will be excluded due to neuroimaging restrictions with implantable devices.
* For neuroimaging experiments only:
* Current use of the following medications: psychotropic medications or other medications with significant CNS effects (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, alpha-agonists, adrenergic blockers, lithium, and sedating antihistamines), or other excluded medication.
* Current major psychiatric diagnosis.
* Current substance abuse or substance dependence.
* Diagnosis of a known neurological disorder or any major medical illness or injury impacting neurological/psychiatric function (e.g., diabetes, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, HIV, traumatic brain injury, significant environmental/toxic injury, neurodegenerative disorder, past meningitis/encephalitis).
* General medical conditions: any major medical conditions that would interfere with involvement in the study or may affect CNS function as judged by the investigative team.
* Presence of any ferrous metal implant, including orthodonture or pacemaker, which may interfere with the MEG data acquisition and/or be an MRI safety concern.

Where it's running

• Boys Town National Research Hospital
  Omaha, Nebraska, United States Recruiting
• University of Iowa
  Iowa City, Iowa, United States Not yet recruiting
• University of North Carolina, Chapell Hill
  Chapell Hill, North Carolina, United States Not yet recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Ryan McCreery, PhD — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
• Study coordinator: Ryan McCreery, PhD
• Email: Ryan.McCreery@boystown.org
• Phone: 531-355-6668

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

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• Understanding how cochlear implants affect emotional communication

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• Examining how vestibular loss affects reading in children with hearing loss

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• Linking phonological and morpho-syntactic patterns in children with language disorders

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.