Measurement and Prediction of Outcomes of Amplification

January 20, 2009 updated by: US Department of Veterans Affairs
The long-term goal of this research program is to develop methods to predict both the benefit and the satisfaction that hearing-impaired patients will derive from auditory amplification in daily life. This proposal has three primary objectives: (1) To determine the influence of extra-audiological variables, such as personality attributes and expectations, on the subjective outcomes of hearing aid fittings, (2) To establish a scientific basis for selection, administration, and interpretation of self-report measures of hearing aid fitting outcome, (3) To resolve the long-standing debate about the efficacy of using clinically measured loudness perception data in hearing aid prescriptions.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The long-term goal of this research program is to develop methods where by clinicians can predict both the benefit and the satisfaction that individual hearing-impaired patients will derive from amplification in daily life. The present proposal continues the research directions pursued in several cycles of previous RR&D funding from 1986 to 1996. This proposal has three primary objectives: (1) To determine the influence of extra-audiological variables, such as personality attributes and expectations, on the subjective outcomes of hearing aid fittings, (2) To establish a scientific basis for selection, administration, and interpretation of self-report measures of hearing aid fitting outcome, (3) To resolve the long-standing debate about the efficacy of using clinically measured loudness perception data in hearing aid prescriptions.

HYPOTHESES:

  1. Inter-subject differences in personality traits, coping style, and/or expectations account for a significant and substantial amount of the variance in hearing aid fitting outcomes, independent of hearing impairment and fitting strategy.
  2. Prediction of hearing aid fitting outcomes will be substantially improved if the prediction model includes extra-audiological data as well as data on impairment and hearing aid.
  3. The post-fitting time course of hearing aid fitting outcome data is different for different outcome variables.
  4. Self-report hearing aid fitting outcomes are stable after 3 months of hearing aid use.
  5. Fitting outcomes are optimized for individuals with unpredictable loudness perception when clinically measured loudness data are used in the hearing aid fitting protocol.

PROCEDURES: Investigations will explore:(1)the determinants and characteristics of subjective outcome variables, and (2) the value of individual loudness data in hearing aid fitting. Subjects will be elderly men and women with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The work will be performed at the Memphis VAMC Hearing Aid Research Laboratory.

Determinants and characteristics of subjective outcome variables. When self-reports are used to evaluate hearing aid fitting outcome, it is assumed that the data primarily reflect the efficacy of the hearing aid and the fitting strategy. There is a lack of information about the extent to which other variables might impact self-report data. We will explore this topic with 120 potential hearing aid wearers, followed from their initial expression of interest in amplification through the entire fitting process and for six months after the fitting. Data describing a range of pre-fitting variables as well as hearing impairment, and hearing aid fitting will be collected in a consortium of six clinical sites (including 5 VA sites) coordinated from the Memphis laboratory. The Memphis research team will complete data collection with each subject by collecting outcome data at three post-fitting intervals.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

120

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • Tennessee
      • Memphis, Tennessee, United States
        • VAMC, Memphis

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

Ages Eligible for Study

56 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Hearing-impaired patients

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: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • John Fryer, Ph.D., Asst. Director, Department of Veterans Affairs, Program Analysis and Review Section (PARS), Rehabilitation Research & Development Service
  • Nancy Rocheleau, Program Analyst, Department of Veterans Affairs, Program Analysis and Rreview Section (PARS), Rehabilitation Research & Development Service

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

October 1, 1999

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2002

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 14, 2001

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 15, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

March 16, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 21, 2009

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 20, 2009

Last Verified

January 1, 2001

More Information

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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