View clinical trials related to Hearing Loss.
Filter by:The aim of this study is to determine whether measures derived from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, and clinical and behavioural measures of hearing loss, in the peripheral and central auditory system (ranging from the cochlear nerve through the auditory brainstem to the auditory cortex) are associated with age and history of noise exposure in otherwise healthy adult humans.
Background: The Eustachian Tube (ET) is a mucosa-lined connection between the nasopharynx and the middle ear cavity. It is believed to have three functions: 1) ventilation of and pressure equalization in the middle ear cavity, 2) mucus drainage from the middle ear, and 3) protection against sound and infection from the nasopharynx1. In adults, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) can cause complaints from one or both ears. For many years, various definitions of ETD have been used, impairing the opportunity to compare studies. However, in 2015, an international consensus on definition, types, clinical presentation, and diagnosis of ETD was published by Schilder et al2, which has been adopted by all the Scandinavian countries. The symptoms include pressure (fullness), and/or pain in the ear, muffled hearing, and overall discomfort. Furthermore, chronic ETD can result in tympanic membrane retraction, atelectasis of the middle ear cavity, and ultimately formation of cholesteatoma3. Unfortunately, the symptoms of ETD are multiple and inaccurate giving rise to varying estimates of the prevalence. As an example, a study in UK found a 0.9 % prevalence of ETD4. In addition, clear guidelines on diagnostics and treatment are not currently available due to the fact, that no objective test for detection of ETD exists. In the need of a symptom scoring system, the patient reported Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) has been developed and validated in English5. Yet, translation into other languages as well as validation in other settings are necessary in order to substantiate the applicability of ETDQ-7. ETD is associated with a lack of opening of ET. It is believed that the length, diameter and angle of ET influences its ability to open regularly, thus affecting its function. A short, narrow and angled ET may predispose to ETD. However, the imaging available to visualize ET are not accurate enough to diagnose ETD. A direct test of the function of ET is not available. Tubomanometry is a relatively new method developed to directly test the opening of ET, but is yet to be validated6. Both non-surgical and surgical treatment options to improve the function of the Eustachian Tube are available. Non-surgical management includes pressure equalization methods (e.g. the Valsalva maneuver), antihistamines, treatment with decongestants, and nasal douching with a saline solution. Surgically, ventilation tubes are often used to treat ETD. In case of adenoid hypertrophy obstructing the pharyngeal opening of ET, adenoidectomy is recommended. Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty (BET) was introduced in 2010 by Ockermann et al7. BET is a non-invasive procedure performed under general anesthesia. During the procedure, a catheter is inserted either endonasally or transtympanic into ET, and a balloon is inflated with water for approximately two minutes. Various heterogeneous studies have shown a short-term effect of BET, but long-term effects are unclear8. In summary, despite the assumption of being a common condition, the field of ETD suffers from lack of precise definition, diagnostic criteria, identification of underlying causes as well as purposeful treatment, and prognostic factors. Especially, long-term effects of BET need further investigation. Therefore, in an effort to fill out the gap of knowledge about ETD, the following specific aims are proposed:
The objective of this study is to validate the User-operated Audiometry (UAud) system for user-operated audiometry in a clinical setting, by investigating if hearing rehabilitation based on UAud is non-inferior to hearing rehabilitation based on traditional audiometry, and whether thresholds obtained with the user-operated version of the Audible Contrast Threshold (ACT) test correlates to traditional measures of speech intelligibility.
HearVA involves six VA facility emergency departments (ED) over a 3-year intervention period. The first part of this study will test whether providing personal amplifiers to Veteran ED patients who self-report hearing difficulty is acceptable to these patients, can improve their hearing, enhance understanding of discharge instructions, and can reduce the risk of coming back to the ED in a short period of time (3 days and 30 days). The second part of the study will then identify whether ED staff can implement this program and achieve similar results. The second part will give ED staff increasing levels of responsibility for screening Veterans for hearing difficulty and providing personal amplifiers when such difficulty is detected.
This feasibility study is designed to explore several facets of hearing performance that may show improvements for alternative modes of stimulation compared to Monopolar (MP) stimulation within a group of adult cochlear-implant recipients. Measures of speech recognition, music appreciation, listening effort, quality of life, and real-world assessments will be gathered to determine the most promising benefits for further examination.
This study examines the development of American Sign Language by deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and their parents.
The research aims to address to address the role of interdisciplinary working between professionals in the field of speech and language pathology/therapy. There is considerable evidence to state that when professionals work in collaboration with each other on particular goals that the outcomes are more favorable, functional and beneficial for the child.
Phase I clinical study on the safety, tolerance, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of repeated intratympanic HY01 in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In this study, low-dose group and high-dose group were designed, 6 cases in each group.
The following research questions will be investigated: What is the knowledge of medical interventions for moderate to severe hearing loss and what is the knowledge of the reimbursement criteria for hearing implants of otorhinolaryngologists in a secondary setting in Brabant. This will be evaluated by means of a specific questionnaire that will be systematically gone over with the participants during an interview in the first and third phase. In a second phase, the investigators will investigate how the knowledge of medical interventions for moderate to severe hearing loss and the knowledge of the reimbursement criteria for hearing implants of otorhinolaryngologists in a secondary setting in Brabant can be increased by training the otorhinolaryngologists in a secondary setting in Brabant. In the third phase, the investigators will evaluate the knowledge of hearing implant interventions and reimbursement criteria among otorhinolaryngologists in a secondary setting.
This is a prospective study designed to evaluate the safety and performance of the HiResTM Ultra Cl HiFocusTM SlimJ Electrode and HiResTM Ultra 3D Cl HiFocusTM SlimJ Electrode (Ultra X) under normal conditions of use as it is approved for this device. Participants receive interventions as part of routine medical care.