Listening, language, and wellbeing in deaf and hard-of-hearing teens
Official title: ListenFuture-Listening for Their Future: The Complex Associations Between Hearing, Cognition, Spoken Language, Literacy and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents
Run by Kuopio University Hospital · NCT07416292 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see how listening, thinking, language, reading, and wellbeing interact in teenagers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing using tests and questionnaires across Finland.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 11 Years to 16 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 256 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Kuopio University Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 7 sites (Helsinki and 6 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2029 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2031 |
| Registry record updated | February 25, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07416292 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adolescents with bilateral mild to profound hearing loss, with a separate comparison group of typically hearing peers who have typical cognitive, language, and literacy development.
✕Probably not a fit
Children outside the adolescent age range, adults, and individuals with excluded comorbidities—such as certain heart conditions, developmental brain disorders, chromosome anomalies, severe inner ear malformations, or combined hearing and vision impairment—are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
ListenFuture is a nation‑wide, multidisciplinary project recruiting deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents and a comparison group of typically hearing peers to map speech perception, cognitive skills, language, literacy, and psychosocial wellbeing. Participants complete behavioral tests (including speech-in-noise measures), questionnaires on listening-related fatigue and school burnout, and standardized language and literacy assessments. The investigators will combine demographic, cognitive, speech perception, and language processing data and apply supervised, interpretable machine learning to identify which performance domains best predict outcomes. Results are intended to inform clinical practice, educational support, and policy for DHH adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help tailor educational and clinical support to improve communication, literacy, and school wellbeing for DHH adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked hearing loss with language and psychosocial outcomes, but applying large-scale, interpretable machine learning across these multiple domains in DHH adolescents is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Group 1 \- Bilateral mild to complete hearing loss 2. Group 2: * Typical hearing (PTA\<20dB) * Typical cognitive, linguistic and literacy development Exclusion Criteria: Group 1 and Group 2: * heart conditions * developmental brain disorders * chromosome anomalies * severe inner ear anomalies * impairments in both distance senses hearing and vision Group 2: \- concerns regarding attention and psychosocial wellbeing
Where it's running
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Helsinki University Hospital
Helsinki, Finland Recruiting -
Kuopio University Hospital / University of Eastern Finland
Kuopio, Finland Recruiting -
University of Oulu
Oulu, Finland Recruiting -
Oulu University Hospital
Oulu, Finland Recruiting -
Tampere University Hospital
Tampere, Finland Recruiting -
Turku University Hospital
Turku, Finland Recruiting
Show 1 more location
-
Åbo Academy University
Turku, Finland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Heikki J Löppönen, MD Professor
- Email: heikki.lopponen@uef.fi
- Phone: +358405656183
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.