Randomised Study of Web-Based Auditory Training With Varying Perceptual and Cognitive Demands on Training Gains and Generalised Speech, Cognitive, and Communication Outcomes

Sponsor
University of Nottingham
Study ID
NCT07506408
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Hearing Loss

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Practice Listening and Understand Speech (PLUS) — BEHAVIORAL
    PLUS is a web-based auditory training platform with two adaptive auditory-cognitive training tasks designed to improve listening and communication. Phonemic Discrimination: Phonemes are sounds (e.g. /ba/ vs /da/) that make words different (e.g. "bad" vs "dad"). Participants hear three sounds (e.g., /ba/, /ba/, /da/) from sound pairs (e.g. /ba/ and /da/), and must identify the sound that's different (/da/). Competing Speech: Two talkers produce similar sentences that differ by keywords. Participants are asked to focus on one talker (cued by a target visible on screen) while ignoring a second talker and report two keywords from a list of all possible options.

Study Details

WP1: PLUS-Auditory Training The goal of this experimental study is to better understand how task difficulty affects on-task learning thresholds and generalised benefits in two PLUS auditory training tasks involving perceptual and cognitive learning in adults aged 18+ (no upper age limit) with listening difficulties. The main question it aims to answer is: * Does adjusting task difficulty in PLUS, by manipulating the perceptual and cognitive demands of the phonemic discrimination and competing speech tasks, affect on-task learning thresholds and off-task performance in adults with listening difficulties? Researchers will compare the two experimental arms (easy/hard) to see whether adjusting task difficulty influences on-task learning thresholds and off-task performance. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to one of two training programs (phonemic discrimination or competing speech) within the two experimental arms (easy/hard); * Perform training for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for two weeks (total 10 training sessions, 5 hours of training); * Complete pre- and post- training assessments to measure on-task learning performance and change in performance for untrained measures of speech perception, cognition and self-reported outcomes. WP2: Post-Training Focus Groups The goal of this observational study is to gain in-depth qualitative insights into participants' motivations, experiences of task difficulty, and perceived benefits across the PLUS-AT training groups in adults aged 18+ (no upper age limit) with listening difficulties. The main question it aims to answer is: * How do participants describe their experiences and perceptions of PLUS-AT, particularly regarding task difficulty and self-perceived changes in listening, hearing, thinking, and quality of life? Researchers will explore participant experiences across the two experimental arms (easy/hard) to determine whether motivations for seeking auditory training, knowledge and beliefs about auditory training, attitudes toward PLUS-AT difficulty, and self-perceived changes in listening, hearing, thinking, and quality of life differ. A subset of participants (n = 20) will: * Be invited from WP1 to join one of four online focus groups (60-90 minutes via Microsoft Teams); * Attend the focus group corresponding to their assigned training program (phonemic discrimination or competing-speech) within the two experimental arms (easy/hard); * Share their experiences of completing PLUS-AT.

Key Dates

First listed
Apr 1, 2026
Start date
Mar 13, 2026
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Jan 1, 2027
Completion
Feb 1, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Lower perceptual and cognitive demands (Easier)
    Trainees are asked to train for a minimum of 30 min/day, 5 days/week over a 2-week period (300 minutes in total) and randomly assigned to one of two adaptive tasks, either: PLUS Phonemic Discrimination (0-back) A 3-interval, 3-alternate forced choice (oddball paradigm) task using eleven phoneme continua (/a/-/uh/, /b/-/d/, /d/-/g/, /e/-/a/, /er/-/or/, /i/-/e/, /l/-/r/, /m/-/n/, /s/-/sh/, /s/-/th/, and /v/-/w/), embedded within syllables, and synthesised from endpoints of real voice recordings. Trainees are asked to respond with the 'odd' sound immediately after presentation of the three stimuli. Or: PLUS Competing Speech: (male, female) Based on the Coordinate Response Measure (CRM), based on the Coordinate Response Measure (CRM), real world sentences are spoken by a target and masker that differ in gender. Trainees are asked to report two keywords spoken by the target talker from a list of all options, whilst ignoring the masker talker.
  • Experimental: Higher perceptual and cognitive demands (Harder)
    Trainees are asked to train for a minimum of 30 min/day, 5 days/week over a 2-week period (300 minutes in total) and randomly assigned to one of two adaptive tasks, either: PLUS Phonemic Discrimination (1-back) A 3-interval, 3-alternate forced choice (oddball paradigm) task using eleven phoneme continua (/a/-/uh/, /b/-/d/, /d/-/g/, /e/-/a/, /er/-/or/, /i/-/e/, /l/-/r/, /m/-/n/, /s/-/sh/, /s/-/th/, and /v/-/w/), embedded within syllables, and synthesised from endpoints of real voice recordings. Trainees are asked to respond with the 'odd' sound for the three stimuli presented in the prior trial, while holding the 'odd' sound for the current trial in memory. Or: PLUS Competing Speech: (female, female) Based on the Coordinate Response Measure (CRM), real world sentences are spoken by a target and masker of the same gender. Trainees are asked to report two keywords spoken by the target talker from a list of all options, whilst ignoring the masker talker.

Primary Outcome Measure

(Adapted) Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) [ Time Frame: Week 1, Week 3 ]

Central Contacts

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