Actively Recruiting
Comparing Hearing Aid Fitting Methods in Blast-exposed Veterans
Led by VA Office of Research and Development · Updated on 2026-04-14
80
Participants Needed
3
Research Sites
208 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
V
VA Office of Research and Development
Lead Sponsor
U
University of California, San Diego
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Since 2000, at least 250,000 U.S. Service members have experienced a blast-related mild traumatic brain injury. A retrospective analysis of over 100,000 post-9/11 Veterans shows that blast injury more than doubles the risk of a diagnosed auditory problem. Many blast-exposed Veterans experience "functional hearing difficulties" (FHDs): problems in challenging listening environments despite clinically normal hearing as measured by the pure-tone audiogram. VA audiologists have begun using low-gain hearing aids to treat FHDs, but there are no concrete guidelines for this application given standard procedures rely on the pure-tone audiogram. This study proposes a data-driven approach called speech-based audiometry (SBA), which optimizes hearing aid gains from a patient's responses to speech stimuli in aided conditions. This trial will assess the behavioral (speech recognition in noise, subjective listening difficulty) and neurophysiological (functional neuroimaging during a speech recognition task) benefits of low-gain hearing aids programmed conventionally or with SBA among blast-exposed Veterans with FHDs.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Comparing Hearing Aid Fitting Methods in Blast-exposed Veterans
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Male or female Veterans aged 18 to 60 years
- Report at least one exposure to high-intensity blast close enough to feel heat or pressure
- Score 20 or higher on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA)
- Pure-tone average at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz of 35 dB HL or better in each ear
- Pure-tone thresholds no worse than 40 dB HL at any two frequencies up to 8 kHz
- No more than 10 dB difference between ears at more than one frequency up to 4 kHz
- Native speaker of English
- Score of at least 25 on the Mini Mental State Exam
You will not qualify if you...
- Conductive hearing impairment or other ear pathology
- Chronic disease or medications affecting hearing or ability to perform tasks
- Inability to perform experimental tasks
- Contraindications for MRI (e.g., pacemaker, metal clips, other metal devices)
- Prior experience with hearing aids
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 3 locations
1
VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA
Loma Linda, California, United States, 92357-1000
Actively Recruiting
2
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA
Sepulveda, California, United States, 91343
Not Yet Recruiting
3
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA
West Los Angeles, California, United States, 90073-1003
Not Yet Recruiting
Research Team
J
Jonathan Venezia, PhD
CONTACT
A
Akai R McKinley, BA
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
FACTORIAL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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