Active clinical trials for "Hearing Loss"

Age-related hearing loss, or presbyacusis, is one of the most common chronically handicapped conditions for the elderly. Many factors including genetics, diet, diseases, drugs, socioeconomic factors and environmental variables were considered to be related to the development of presbyacusis. Evidences have shown that genetic factors play an important role on presbyacusis. However, which genes or their genotypes are associated with presbycusis remain unknown. The aim of this project was to evaluate the association between the genotype of candidate genes and presbyacusis by cross-section and case-control study. In the first stage, the investigators plan to select 700 healthy subjects older than 50 with symmetric, sensorineural hearing loss. The subjects will receive basic otologic examination, pure tone audiometry, questionnaire, and genotype analysis. Because gender and age would affect hearing loss significantly, The investigators will convert the hearing level of all subjects into a gender and age independent Z-score according to ISO 7029 standard. And, The investigators define subjects within higher 30 % of Z-score as the presbyacusis group, and subjects within lower 30% of Z-score as the control group. Finally, The investigators perform Chi square analysis to test the association between genotype of candidate genes or their combinations in both groups, and calculate the odds ratio for presbyacusis between different genotype of candidate genes. Further more, we will evaluate the effect of genotype of candidate genes, environment factors, and gene-environmental interaction on the severity of presbyacusis by multivariate logistic regression. In the second stage, The investigators wish to know the pattern of genotype and hearing level in the high risk families, according to results from the first stage, by description and case-control study. The investigators will perform t-test to evaluate the difference of Z-score in both groups. Besides, The investigators try to evaluate the effects of genotypes, environment factors, and gene-environmental interaction on hearing level in high risk families by multivariate logistic regression.

Hearing loss is the most common sensory congenital disorder and this condition is diagnosable and treatable. Children that are born with hearing loss have to undergo several hearing tests to diagnose the condition and many families are delayed in receiving this testing or never obtain the needed testing. This research employs a new method for helping children with hearing loss receive timely care by using a patient navigator, who is someone who teaches and provides emotional/social support for the families of these children. The hypothesis of this study is that a patient navigator will hasten the timing of pediatric audiological testing, improve compliance with scheduled appointments, and expand parental knowledge of pediatric hearing loss.

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is known to increase blood flow to the innervation area of the stellate ganglion. Near infrared spectroscopy reflects changes of blood volume and allows continuous, non-invasive, and bedside monitoring of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2). Previous studies have shown the increment of the rSO2 on the block side from the baseline and the decrement of the rSO2 on the non-block side after SGB. Patients with cerebral vascular disease undergoing SGB might be at risk a decrease in cerebral blood flow in the non-block side. The investigators researched the effect of oxygen administration on rSO2 in the non-block side using a near infrared spectroscopy after SGB. 5 L/min oxygen was supplied via nasal cannula from 15 minutes after SGB. The rSO2 in the non-block side were measured before SGB and 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes after SGB. The present study suggests that oxygen administration can increase the rSO2 of non-block side. In conclusion, it is our belief that oxygen supplement is helpful to the patient with cerebral vascular disease during SGB.

Seniors 65 years of age and older represent one of the fastest growing segments of society with the population doubling within the next 25 years with dramatic rates of mental decline, costing society billions of dollars each year. The proposed research seeks to discover whether relatively short term mental or physical training can enhance gist reasoning, generalize to untrained cognitive areas and modify/strengthen brain function in areas susceptible to aging processes. To identify neuroprotective and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent mental decline and maximize cognitive brain health during the course of the adult lifespan has major public policy implications.

Hearing impairment is one of the most common disabilities in veterans. The decreased ability to communicate is troubling in itself, but the strong association of hearing loss with functional decline and depression adds further to the burden on the hearing-impaired. Although hearing amplification improves quality of life, hearing evaluations are offered infrequently to older patients. Only 25 percent of patients with aidable hearing loss receive treatment. Up to 30 percent of patients who receive hearing aids do not use them. We contend that an effective formal screening program should identify hearing-impaired patients who are motivated to seek evaluation and who derive benefit from treatment.

The investigators will examine the effectiveness of selected over-the-counter personal sound amplifiers in addressing functional hearing problems in middle-aged listeners with mild hearing loss. Many people are unlikely to pay several thousand dollars for hearing aids but they likely would be more willing to try a possible solution that is less expensive. When faced with counseling these individuals, audiologists are at a loss regarding whether or not to suggest that they try this type of technology, since there is virtually no research available to verify that these devices actually are helpful, particularly for individuals with mild hearing loss. The hypothesis being tested is that personal sound amplifiers can improve functional hearing and decrease cognitive load in complex auditory environments.

The objectives of the current project aim to determine whether a more controlled amplification method or a visual administration has an effect on hearing impaired older individuals' cognitive test scores.

This study will involve collaborating with oncologists in the post-chemotherapy follow-up appointments. The participants who wish to consent to this study will then answer 3 short questionnaires (THI, HHIA and SF-36) about hearing loss, tinnitus and quality of life. The audiologist or the researcher, under the supervision of an audiologist, will then perform a simple, non-invasive hearing test on the participant. Should the participant have a hearing loss, they will be advise to seek help from their General Practitioner.

The Danish health care system has been criticized for its structural inefficiency and latency to initiate proper hearing rehabilitation amongst hearing-impaired individuals. Waiting lists are extensive, and audiometries are repeated before hearing aid treatment is initiated. Demographic changes forecast increasing numbers of +65-year-olds and consequently increased demand for hearing rehabilitation. To remedy this situation, the Danish Ministry of Health has proposed a new national initiative to implement innovative digital approaches to improve hearing rehabilitation, including a new, digital remote assessment routine. The aim of this study is to investigate: Primarily: Patient safety of remote vs. conventional assessment Patient-reported satisfaction and treatment effect of remote vs. conventional assessment Secondarily: Inter-subspecialty and inter-personal assessment differences between four ENT specialists using a remote assessment routine Translation and validation of the Danish adapted version of the Consumer Ear Disease Risk Assessment (CEDRA) questionnaire. The main study is a randomized clinical trial with three arms and 1:1:1 assignment comprising 751 potential first-time adult hearing aid users. Since March 2021, 751 patients have been randomized and assigned to 20 different clinics. The remote assessment routine works well for both patients, assessors, and clinics. Inclusion is expected to end in December 2021 and overall study completion is anticipated in april 2022. Deficient diagnosis of complicating conditions in first time hearing aid users is the main concern in remote assessment. If the study shows the practice to be safe, it could form the foundation of a future nationwide implementation of remote care in Danish hearing rehabilitation.

The study is a prospective, single-center, comparative, cross-over study with within-subject control design. In the investigation an updated sound processor will be tested at compared to the CE marked Ponto 3 SuperPower sound processor (available on the market since December 2016) in order to establish marketing claim(s) on the updated sound processor. The performance of the two sound processors will be evaluated via speech and hearing tests, and patient reported outcomes.