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Hearing differences between the ears and understanding speech in noise across adult ages

Studies how uneven hearing between ears affects listening in noisy places, in adults.

Key facts

Who runs it
University of Maryland, College Park
Where
College Park, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Effects of Asymmetries on Binaural-Hearing Abilities Across the Lifespan
Status
Enrolling by invitation
People taking part
150 people, planned
Started
17 Jun 2024
Planned end
May 2026
Type of study
Interventional
Treatments tested
  • Test of hearing function
Record updated
1 May 2025

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with or without a difference in hearing between the two ears. It studies how age and hearing loss affect understanding speech in noise.

Age
18-80 years
Sex
All sexes can join.
Disease stage
People with no hearing difference between ears (≤10 dB at any frequency) or a difference >10 dB can join. Hearing loss must be no worse than moderate.
Earlier treatment
Cochlear implant users cannot join.
Biomarker or test result
Hearing threshold no higher than 50 dB HL at any octave frequency (250-4000 Hz) in either ear. Vision of 20/50 or better, with or without glasses. Native English speakers who mainly use spoken language.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • History of neurological disorders, such as stroke or Parkinson's disease
  • History of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury
  • Possible acoustic neuroma (a growth on the hearing nerve), or hearing difference >10 dB at three frequencies in a row
  • Memory and thinking test (MoCA) score below 22/30
  • Conductive hearing loss (sound blocked in the outer or middle ear), or no use of spoken language

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 13 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Adults (18-80 years)
  • No hearing asymmetry between ears (≤10 dB at any frequency) or, hearing asymmetry between ears >10 dB
  • Native English speakers
  • Primarily use oral language
  • Sufficient corrected or uncorrected visual acuity (20/50 or better) to read large-font text

Who cannot take part

  • Cochlear implant user
  • History of neurological disorders (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease) determined by self-report
  • History of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury determined by self-report
  • Acoustic tone-detection threshold >50 dB HL at any octave frequency (250-4000 Hz) in either ear (i.e., more than a moderate hearing loss)
  • Possibility of acoustic neuroma, hearing asymmetry (>10 dB at three consecutive audiometric threshold frequencies)
  • Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score <22/30
  • No oral language use
  • Conductive hearing loss

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 18 and 80 years old?

Where in United States

  • University of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, United StatesEnrolling by invitation

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Binaural hearing involves combining auditory information across the ears. With binaural hearing, listeners benefit from perceiving sounds from different spatial locations. This is critical in solving the "cocktail party problem" (i.e., understanding speech in the presence of competing background sounds and noise). As humans get older, hearing loss increases, binaural abilities decrease, and the cocktail party problem becomes increasingly difficult. This research studies the mechanisms underlying the impact of age and hearing loss on speech-perception in noise and cocktail-party listening situations. More specifically, the role of hearing asymmetries between the ears is investigated. The specific aims are to generate an audiological and binaural-hearing-focused dataset for a large cohort of participants that vary in hearing asymmetry, age, and hearing loss and to use machine learning to uncover complex associations and generate novel hypotheses relating audiometric variables and basic binaural-hearing abilities to the cocktail-party problem. Participants in this research will complete perceptual measures of hearing acuity and spatial hearing. Participants will also report on speech understanding under noisy and challenging listening conditions. This research may lead to improvements in audiological care and hearing interventions.

The group in the trial

  • Test of Hearing Function in Acoustic Hearing ListenersTreatment being tested

    Treatment: Test of hearing function

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Effects of Asymmetries on Binaural-Hearing Abilities Across the Lifespan
Plain-language title
Hearing differences between the ears and understanding speech in noise across adult agesGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT06953700, who can take part
Record updated
1 May 2025