Hearing Intervention Effects on Brain and Language Development in Children With Bilateral Mild Hearing Loss (HBD-RCT)

August 17, 2026 updated by: Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Effects of Hearing Aid Intervention on Brain and Language Development in Children With Bilateral Mild Hearing Loss: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of hearing aid intervention on brain and language development in children with bilateral mild sensorineural hearing loss. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either the hearing aid intervention group or the control group. The primary outcome is the general developmental quotient of the Griffiths Development Scales-Chinese Edition (GDS-C) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include auditory and speech development, language development, adaptive behavior, and brain structure and function assessed by MRI. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
236

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
      • Shanghai, China
        • Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011
        • Contact:
          • Zhili Wang Zhili Wang Zhili Wang
          • Phone Number: +86-21-53314064
          • Email: zhili_w@163.com

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age: ≥0.5 years and <4 years
  • Diagnosed with bilateral mild sensorineural hearing loss by objective hearing tests: bilateral click-ABR ≥35 dB nHL and ≤50 dB nHL, with bilateral type A tympanogram (including As/Ad type) on acoustic immittance testing
  • Without previous hearing aid intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Premature and low birth weight infants: gestational age less than 37 weeks, or birth weight below 2500 grams
  • Participants diagnosed with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) by imaging (CT, MRI) or genetic testing
  • Participants with complicated medical problems or significant disabilities affecting growth and development (such as autism, recurrent epilepsy, severe heart disease requiring multiple surgeries, etc.) and considered unsuitable for this study by the investigators
  • Families who refused to participate in this study, or have already decided whether the participant will wear hearing aids or not (refused to randomization).
  • Participants who refused/was unable to undergo study assessments as scheduled.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Hearing-aid intervention
Participants in the hearing-aid intervention group will receive standardized bilateral fitting of behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, and their parents will be instructed to ensure consistent daily use for 12 months and be provided with essential knowledge regarding hearing aid maintenance and proper usage. In addition, the same hearing-care education sessions will also be delivered to this group.
Device: Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
Bilateral BTE hearing aids will be uniformly provided by the project team and fitted and verified by experienced audiologists at participating sites, with settings adjusted to achieve optimal hearing status according to individual needs. The devices will be selected from mainstream BTE hearing aid brands and models that are already commercially available in China and widely used in pediatric populations.
Other: Hearing-care educational sessions
Standardized educational sessions covering children hearing and speech development, pediatric hearing care, routine monitoring and detection, and appropriate family support and parent-child interaction delivered by trained researchers during each follow-up visit.
Other: Hearing-care education
Participants in the hearing-care education control group will not receive hearing aids, but will receive standardized hearing-care educational sessions at each follow-up visit.
Other: Hearing-care educational sessions
Standardized educational sessions covering children hearing and speech development, pediatric hearing care, routine monitoring and detection, and appropriate family support and parent-child interaction delivered by trained researchers during each follow-up visit.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Children overall development, as measured by General Developmental Quotient (GDQ) from the Griffiths Development Scales - Chinese Edition (GDS-C)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
The GDS-C was adapted from the 2006 Griffiths Mental Development Scales - Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) and standardized with Chinese norms for children aged 0-8 years. It evaluates six subdomains: (A) Locomotor, (B) Personal-Social, (C) Language, (D) Eye & Hand Coordination, (E) Performance, and (F) Practical Reasoning. The General Developmental Quotient (GDQ) is derived as:(developmental age ÷ chronological age) × 100. Higher scores indicate better overall developmental status.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Griffiths Development Scales-Chinese Edition (GDS-C) subscale quotients
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Including six subscales: Locomotor (A), Personal-Social (B), Language (C), Eye-hand Co-ordination (D), Performance (E), and Practical Reasoning (F). Each subscale quotient is calculated as (subscale developmental age ÷ chronological age) × 100. Higher subscale quotients indicate better performance in the specific domain.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
MRI outcomes
Time Frame: Assessed at 0 and 12 months.
Brain structure and function changes evaluated by MRI
Assessed at 0 and 12 months.
Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Electrical potentials recorded with scalp electrodes in response to electrical stimulation of the cochlear nerve. The ABR threshold will be measured in decibels normal hearing level (dB nHL) for each ear. Lower thresholds indicate better auditory function.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Behavioral audiometry thresholds (Pure-Tone Audiometry)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Behavioral audiometry measures the lowest pure tone level children can respond. Its thresholds will be measured in decibels hearing level (dB HL) for each ear at standard frequencies. The Pure Tone Average (PTA) will be calculated by the average of four frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz). Lower thresholds indicate better hearing.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Word Recognition Score
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Measured by percentage of correctly identified words (ranging from 0% to 100%) from standardized Mandarin Chinese word lists, presented in a quiet sound booth. Higher percentages indicate better speech perception ability.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) Score
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
The Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) is a hierarchical rating scale assessing real-life auditory functioning. It comprises 10 categories graded from 0 to 9, where 0 = "cannot detect environmental or speech sounds" and 9 = "able to use the telephone with an unfamiliar speaker in unpredictable situations". Higher scores indicating better auditory performance.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) Score
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
The Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) is a hierarchical rating scale assessing the intelligibility of a child's speech in everyday communication. It comprises 5 categories graded from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater speech intelligibility.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (MAIS/IT-MAIS) Score
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
This scale includes the original MAIS version for children aged ≥3 years and the IT-MAIS (Infant-Toddler version) for children <3 years. It is a parent-report structured interview designed to assess the child's spontaneous auditory responses in everyday environments, consisting of 10 items evaluating three domains: vocalization behavior, alerting to sounds, and deriving meaning from sound. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate better auditory integration ability.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) Score
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
The Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) assesses speech production and communication ability. It comprises 10 open-ended questions answered by parents/guardians, each scored 0-4). The total score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating better speech use. Scores are often reported as percentages (score ÷ 40 × 100%).
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Adaptive behavior measured by Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition (ABAS-II)
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
The ABAS-II is a comprehensive, norm-referenced assessment of adaptive functioning across multiple skill areas relevant to daily living. Depending on the respondent form used, it yields a General Adaptive Composite (GAC) as an overall standard score (mean = 100, SD = 15), three domain composite scores (Conceptual, Social, and Practical), and individual skill area scaled scores covering domains such as Communication, Community Use, Functional Academics, Home Living, Health and Safety, Leisure, Self-Care, Self-Direction, Social, Work (where applicable), and Motor. Higher scores consistently indicating more advanced adaptive functioning.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) Amplitude and Signal-to-Noise Ratio
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
DPOAEs were recorded bilaterally at standard frequencies. For each frequency, the DPOAE amplitude (in dB SPL) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, in dB) were obtained. The amplitude represents the absolute sound pressure level of the distortion product response, while the SNR is the difference between the amplitude and the background noise floor at the same frequency. Higher amplitude and SNR indicate stronger outer hair cell (OHC)-mediated cochlear amplification and better cochlear function. A DPOAE response is conventionally considered present (PASS) when the SNR exceeds 6 dB.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Acoustic Immittance
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Acoustic immittance is measured via tympanometry using a 226-Hz probe tone. Three quantitative parameters are reported: tympanometric peak pressure (measured in daPa), peak compensated static admittance (measured in mmho), and equivalent ear canal volume (measured in mL). Results are classified as pass or fail based on standardized criteria.
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Family Environment Survey
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.
Including basic family environment survey, and Index of Child Care Environment (ICCE)
From enrollment to 12 months, with assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Hao Wu, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
  • Study Chair: Hao Wu, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 31, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • SH9H-2026-T165

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Time Frame

The protocol will be available from study initiation, before the first participant is enrolled. The final version of SAP will be approved before database lock and will be shared 6 months after the primary results are published.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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