Auditory-Cognitive Training for Difficulty Understanding Speech in Older Adults

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Michael A Johns, PhD

Age: 65+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Maryland, College Park

Must not be taking: Stimulants, depressants, mood stabilizers, others

Disqualifiers: Middle-ear pathology, learning disorders, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

100 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

With advancing age, adults experience increasing speech understanding difficulties in challenging situations. Currently, speech-in-noise difficulties are rehabilitated by providing hearing aids. For older normal-hearing adults, however, hearing devices do not provide much benefit since these adults do not have decreased hearing sensitivity. The goal of the "Speech Perception and High Cognitive Demand" project is to evaluate the benefit of a new auditory-cognitive training paradigm. In the present study neural (as measured by pupillometry and magnetoencephalography) and behavioral changes of speech-in-noise perception from pretest to posttest will be examined in older adults (age 65 - 85 years) assigned to one of three training groups: 1) Active Control Group: sessions of watching informational videos, 2) Auditory Training Group: sessions of auditory training listening to one of two speakers in everyday scenarios (e.g., driving directions) and needing to recall what one speaker said in the previous sentence, and 3) Auditory-cognitive training group: identical to the auditory training group, except participants will be asked to remember information from two previous sentences. Changes in speech-in-noise perception will be examined for the three groups of older adults and gains will be compared to a control group of young, normal hearing adults (18-30 years) that is not part of the clinical trial and will not undergo any training.

Is auditory-cognitive training safe for older adults?

The research does not report any safety concerns for auditory-cognitive training in older adults, suggesting it is generally safe for human use. ^{1 2}

How does the auditory-cognitive training treatment differ from other treatments for difficulty understanding speech in older adults?

This treatment is unique because it combines auditory and cognitive training to improve speech understanding, focusing on enhancing both hearing and cognitive skills like attention and memory, which are crucial for processing speech in noisy environments. Unlike other treatments that may only address hearing, this approach aims to provide broader benefits by also improving cognitive functions related to listening. ^{1 3 4 5 6}

Research Team

Samira B Anderson, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Maryland, College Park

Jonathan Z Simon, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Maryland, College Park

Stefanie E Kuchinsky, PhD

Principal Investigator

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for older adults aged 65-85 with normal hearing and vision, fluent in American English, and have at least a high school education. It's not suitable for those with head injuries, claustrophobia affected by MRI environments, metal implants incompatible with MEG/MRI scans, learning disorders, ear pathologies or taking certain psychoactive medications.

Inclusion Criteria

Dominant language: American English

Self-reported normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Education: a high school diploma or higher education level

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently taking medication for mood, psychosis, seizures, or use recreational drugs.

A non-removable hairstyle or hair accessory that would prevent the participant from fitting comfortably in the MEG or MRI head coil

Metal in body that induces a data artifact for MEG recording (e.g., excessive metal dental work) or that poses a safety issue in the MRI portion (e.g., pacemakers, neural implants, metal plates or joints, shrapnel, and surgical staples)

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pretest

Participants undergo pretest assessments including MEG and subjective ratings

2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Training

Participants engage in auditory-cognitive training or control activities

3 weeks

At-home sessions

Posttest

Participants undergo posttest assessments including MEG and subjective ratings

2 weeks

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in speech-in-noise perception and cognitive measures

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Active Control of Informational videos
• Auditory-cognitive training paradigm
• Auditory training paradigm

Trial Overview The study tests if a new auditory-cognitive training can improve understanding speech in noisy situations for older adults. Participants will be divided into three groups: one watching videos (control), another doing auditory exercises recalling sentences from conversations, and the third group performing more complex memory tasks.

Participant Groups

Group I: Auditory-cognitive training paradigm Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants perform speech-in-noise perception tasks with real-world scenarios. A short-term memory component is added to the training paradigm to make the task more engaging and challenging.

Group II: Auditory training paradigm Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants perform speech-in-noise perception tasks with real-world scenarios.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Maryland, College Park

Lead Sponsor

Trials

163

Recruited

46,800+

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Collaborator

Trials

1,841

Recruited

28,150,000+

Findings from Research

Auditory training can improve specific listening tasks for adults with hearing loss, but the benefits may not always translate to real-world situations, indicating a need for more effective training methods.

Incorporating cognitive training into auditory training programs may enhance overall listening abilities by targeting executive functions like attention and memory, potentially leading to better communication in challenging environments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How Does Auditory Training Work? Joined-Up Thinking and Listening. Ferguson, M., Henshaw, H.[2020]

References

1. Japan pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of a newly developed auditory-cognitive training system on speech recognition, central auditory processing and cognitive ability among older adults with normal cognition and with neurocognitive impairment. [2020]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of a temporal processing-based auditory training program on the auditory skills of elderly users of hearing aids: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial. [2021]

3. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training changes processing of speech cues in older adults with hearing loss. [2022]

4. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Study of Acute and Sub-Acute Effects of Auditory Training on the Central Auditory Processing in Older Adults with Hearing Loss-A Pilot Study. [2020]

5. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of auditory training in elderly subjects. [2023]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How Does Auditory Training Work? Joined-Up Thinking and Listening. [2020]