Cognitive Processing of Natural Sequences in Humans and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (SEQUOIA)

July 28, 2026 updated by: Institut Pasteur

SEQUOIA : Cognitive Processing of Natural Sequences in Humans and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The goal of this study is to identify electrical patterns in the cortex that enable the generation of predictions in natural auditory sequences such as speech and music.

Between 500 and 700 participants in total (250 to 350 normally hearing participants (including 60 to 120 participants from West Africa and 60 to 120 participants from Western Europe) and 250 to 350 participants with hearing loss (no restrictions on origin)).

Participants will listen to naturally recorded music and speech via headphones. They will be asked to rate these stimuli on a scale from 0 to 10 in terms of pleasure and comprehension, using a keyboard and mouse or voice input. Additionally, they will be required to sing or produce novel/improvised vocal responses using high-fidelity microphones. This entire procedure will be conducted under electroencephalography (EEG) to record neuronal responses throughout the process.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Hearing Disorders and Deafness

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

700

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

Adult
Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Hearing participants will be recruited from the general population in the Paris region.

We will also recruit participants with hearing impairment through ENT clinics, in hearing aid dispensing centers.

Finally, we will specifically recruit participants residing in Paris and of West African origin to examine differences related to cultural experience.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

For hearing participants:

Average pure-tone thresholds ≤ 20 dB HL

For participants with hearing loss:

Average pure-tone thresholds > 20 dB HL

For participants of West African origin:

Average pure-tone thresholds ≤ 20 dB HL
Declare that both parents are of West African origin, either by their own birth or by the birth of both of their parents.

Exclusion Criteria:

No known neurological or audiological disorders
Participants under legal guardianship (tutelle, curatelle)
Participants deprived of legal liberty by judicial or administrative decision

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

Number of groups / cohorts

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Normal hearing participants from West Africa
Normal hearing participants from Western Europe
Participants with hearing loss

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Correlation between neural recordings and IA models Time Frame: Day 1	To identify electrical patterns in cortex which generates predictions in natural auditory sequences (such as speak and music).	Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Compare predictions generated across different cultural contexts Time Frame: Day 1	specifically, comparing West African and Western European communities in Paris	Day 1
Compare predictions for identical stimuli across repeated sessions to establish a link between processing and successful memorization/retention. Time Frame: From enrollement to visit 2 (10 days)		From enrollement to visit 2 (10 days)
Compare predictions generated between hearing individuals and those with hearing impairments. Time Frame: Day 2		Day 2
Correlate predictive measures with responses to autism symptom questionnaires across the various experiments. Time Frame: Day 1		Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Institut Pasteur

Collaborators

IHU reConnect

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)

September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 1, 2033

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 31, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)