Moonee Ponds

Researchers are investigating whether adding hearing test results from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a brain imaging method using light, can help audiologists make quicker and more confident decisions about early interventions for infants born with hearing loss. The study focuses on infants with various types and degrees of hearing impairment, exploring if fNIRS can provide missing information not captured by standard audiology tests. This could reduce delays in critical care steps that impact speech and language development and long-term social and educational outcomes. Infants with hearing loss will undergo fNIRS testing alongside their standard audiological assessments. Their test results, including sound detection and discrimination measured by a special algorithm, will be shared anonymously with experienced audiologists. Audiologists will review these results in two ways: with and without the additional fNIRS data, spaced two months apart, to compare confidence in clinical decisions. The study involves four key points in the hearing care path, from diagnosis through hearing aid fitting to cochlear implant programming. Parents and guardians will also provide feedback on how comfortable and acceptable the fNIRS test is for their infants. Participating audiologists will answer questionnaires rating their confidence in management decisions based on the test information. Infants are only involved during the fNIRS testing session and have no further participation afterward. The main outcome is the change in audiologists' confidence when fNIRS results are included compared to using standard tests alone, measured between each infant's test and two months later. The study includes safety monitoring through parent surveys and follows infants from 1 to 24 months old.