Measuring the Evolution of Speech Perception in Noise, in Realistic Sound Environments According to Age (SI 360)

In clinical settings, hearing perception is typically assessed using audiometric tests administered in a controlled environment. To date, these tests are administered in silence or in the presence of noise from fixed sources at an arbitrarily predetermined signal-to-noise ratio. These assessment situations are not representative of the functional difficulties encountered by people with hearing loss or Auditory Processing Disorder in their daily lives. In real life, "soundscapes" are diverse. Hearing assessment and rehabilitation should include the child's everyday environments as well as their lifestyle habits.

The Immersion 360 System (Virtual reality system) was developed specifically to virtually reproduce complex everyday sound experiences with realistic noise types and sound presentation conditions, enabling the assessment of auditory perception under test conditions similar to those encountered in daily life. Some of the sound environments offered by this innovative system have been standardized for adults. No standards exist for children, and we have limited knowledge regarding the development of speech perception skills in noise during childhood and adolescence. It seems essential to measure the age-related development of speech perception in realistic sound environments in order to establish reference data for children and adolescents.

This work will, through functional assessments of the auditory system and linguistic tests (speech perception in noise), provide a better understanding of the functional development of the central auditory system for speech perception in noise. The results collected from normo-hearing individuals in the age groups of interest will provide a clinical baseline for comparison with patients of the same age.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Child; Normal Hearing; Noise Exposure
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Système Immersion 360

Detailed Description

This is a single-center, descriptive, cross-sectional, preliminary study to describe the age-related distribution of speech perception scores in noise. The study will be non-randomized and conducted on healthy, hearing minor volunteers. The inclusion period will be 12 months, with each participant spending 1.5 to 2 hours in the study.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 150

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Marie-Noëlle CALMELS, Dr; Phone Number: +33 5-61-77-95-77; Email: calmels.mn@chu-toulouse.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Aurore BERLAND; Email: aurore.berland@asei.asso.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France, 31522
    • ASEI, Unité Ressources Audition

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children aged 7 to 15 with normal hearing

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children with normal hearing (average hearing thresholds at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz less than 20 dB)
• Be between 7 and 15 years old
• Be a native French speaker, without bilingualism
• Have typical development, as assessed by a school level corresponding to their age;
• No objection from at least one of the two legal guardians
• Legal guardian registered with social security
• Able to understand instructions and information provided

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability of the child to respond to tests
• Abnormal hearing thresholds
• Speech disorder treated by speech therapist
• Inability to understand instructions / to respond to tests
• Neurological conditions
• Multiple disabilities
• Ongoing treatment that may affect alertness
• Unstable ADHD
• History of tympanic surgery for chronic otitis media
• Legal impossibility

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

5

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Children aged 7	Other: Système Immersion 360; The children will be placed at the center of the 360 Immersion System. The four sound environments (school cafeteria: loud and constant noise; playground: fluctuating noise; street: ambient sound without speech; multi-voice noise or SpeechInNoise) will be played one after the other, and two lists of 20 sentences will be presented to the child in each environment, without the possibility of repetition, at the actual signal-to-noise ratio. The child will have to repeat the sentences. The "cafeteria," "playground," and street recordings will be played again to the child, with a different signal-to-noise ratio, making it more difficult for the child to perceive speech. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, but to limit fatigue for our young participants, a 15-minute break will be offered. Children can also request a break themselves if they become tired. A certificate will be awarded to each of our healthy volunteers.
Children aged 8 to 9 years	Other: Système Immersion 360; The children will be placed at the center of the 360 Immersion System. The four sound environments (school cafeteria: loud and constant noise; playground: fluctuating noise; street: ambient sound without speech; multi-voice noise or SpeechInNoise) will be played one after the other, and two lists of 20 sentences will be presented to the child in each environment, without the possibility of repetition, at the actual signal-to-noise ratio. The child will have to repeat the sentences. The "cafeteria," "playground," and street recordings will be played again to the child, with a different signal-to-noise ratio, making it more difficult for the child to perceive speech. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, but to limit fatigue for our young participants, a 15-minute break will be offered. Children can also request a break themselves if they become tired. A certificate will be awarded to each of our healthy volunteers.
Children aged 10 to 11 years	Other: Système Immersion 360; The children will be placed at the center of the 360 Immersion System. The four sound environments (school cafeteria: loud and constant noise; playground: fluctuating noise; street: ambient sound without speech; multi-voice noise or SpeechInNoise) will be played one after the other, and two lists of 20 sentences will be presented to the child in each environment, without the possibility of repetition, at the actual signal-to-noise ratio. The child will have to repeat the sentences. The "cafeteria," "playground," and street recordings will be played again to the child, with a different signal-to-noise ratio, making it more difficult for the child to perceive speech. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, but to limit fatigue for our young participants, a 15-minute break will be offered. Children can also request a break themselves if they become tired. A certificate will be awarded to each of our healthy volunteers.
Children aged 12 to 13 years	Other: Système Immersion 360; The children will be placed at the center of the 360 Immersion System. The four sound environments (school cafeteria: loud and constant noise; playground: fluctuating noise; street: ambient sound without speech; multi-voice noise or SpeechInNoise) will be played one after the other, and two lists of 20 sentences will be presented to the child in each environment, without the possibility of repetition, at the actual signal-to-noise ratio. The child will have to repeat the sentences. The "cafeteria," "playground," and street recordings will be played again to the child, with a different signal-to-noise ratio, making it more difficult for the child to perceive speech. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, but to limit fatigue for our young participants, a 15-minute break will be offered. Children can also request a break themselves if they become tired. A certificate will be awarded to each of our healthy volunteers.
Children aged 14 to 15 years	Other: Système Immersion 360; The children will be placed at the center of the 360 Immersion System. The four sound environments (school cafeteria: loud and constant noise; playground: fluctuating noise; street: ambient sound without speech; multi-voice noise or SpeechInNoise) will be played one after the other, and two lists of 20 sentences will be presented to the child in each environment, without the possibility of repetition, at the actual signal-to-noise ratio. The child will have to repeat the sentences. The "cafeteria," "playground," and street recordings will be played again to the child, with a different signal-to-noise ratio, making it more difficult for the child to perceive speech. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, but to limit fatigue for our young participants, a 15-minute break will be offered. Children can also request a break themselves if they become tired. A certificate will be awarded to each of our healthy volunteers.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
percentage of correct word identification	2 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
average of auditory data	2 hours
difference between a natural sound environment vs. a SpeechInNoise environment	2 hours
Difference between scores obtained with the 360 Immersion System and scores from the literature	2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse
• Collaborators: Association act care educate include
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Aurore BERLAND, ASEI

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 23, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: RC31/26/0048

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No