New Approach to Objectively Measure Social Engagement in Older Adults With Hearing Loss
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if hearing devices, like hearing aids, affect social and cognitive function of older adults. The main questions the researchers want to answer are: * How social are older adults with hearing loss before and after using hearing devices? * How well do older adults with hearing loss think before and after using hearing devices? * For older adults who have hearing loss and use hearing devices, do changes in social interaction explain changes in how well they think (cognitive function)? * Do brainwaves (EEGs) in older adults with hearing loss change after using hearing devices? * Are there differences in how social older adults with hearing loss are compared to older adults without hearing loss? What Participants Will Do: * Participants will take questionnaires for around 60 minutes. Questionnaires will ask participants about their background, health, hearing, and how social they are. Another set of questionnaires will check their thinking ability or cognition. * Participants will wear an audio sensor (TILES Audio Recorder on Jelly Mobile phone) for 2 weeks. The sensor will collect and store information about a participant's voice during conversations. Once the device has information about a participant's voice such as pitch and tone it will store this information and delete the audio recording. Words spoken during conversations will be deleted. * (Optional) Participants can choose to participate in a 45-60-minute EEG (electroencephalogram) recording session. Participants will have sensors placed on top of their heads. Sensors will record the participants' brainwaves. Sounds will be played to see how participants' brainwaves change when they hear sounds. Eligible participants will be invited to participate in 4-month follow-up study.
Arms & interventions
- DeviceHearing aid use
Hearing aid use will be discussed with all eligible participants with hearing loss and will be encouraged to pursue hearing aid fitting through standard clinical indications via participants' insurance and audiologists.
Outcome measures
Primary
Audio sensor- speech activity
The audio sensor employs deep-learning-based multimodal speech pattern modeling of participants' own voice activities to extract speech arousal and speech activities. Speech activity measures include the intersession time (the interval between speech sessions, representing the frequency of conversation engagement).
Time frame: Baseline and 4-month after hearing aid use
Audio sensor- speech arousal
The audio sensor employs deep-learning-based multimodal speech pattern modeling of participants' own voice activities to extract speech arousal and speech activities. Speech arousal measures include the percentage of strong arousals, serving as a proxy of enhanced engagement in conversations.
Time frame: Baseline, 4-month after hearing aid use
Secondary
EEG Measures
Time frame: Baseline, 4-month after hearing aid use
Cognitive test- MoCA
Time frame: Baseline and 4-month after hearing aid use
UCLA Loneliness Scale
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Duke Social Support Index (DSSI-11)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - Screening Version (HHIE-S)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Scale
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Short Form Health Survey - 12 Item (SF-12)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Short Assessment of Health Literacy (SAHL)
Time frame: Baseline, optional 4 months follow-up
Eligibility criteria
Study locations (2)
Los Angeles General Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90033
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, 90066