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Improving Early Intervention in Hearing Impaired Children Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Sponsor: The Bionics Institute of Australia
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether hearing test results using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will help to fast-track early intervention for infants born with a hearing loss. fNIRS is a method of imaging brain activity using light. The main questions are: 1. Can audiologists make more confident decisions about the optimal interventions at different critical points in the hearing care pathway when they are given additional fNIRS information compared to when they have standard audiology test results alone? 2. Is the experience of their infant having an fNIRS test acceptable and comfortable for the parents or care givers?
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
24 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2023-05-02
Completion Date
2028-04-28
Last Updated
2025-08-19
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Provision of standard audiological + fNIRS test results
Infants with hearing loss will be tested using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and a patented analysis algorithm to measure sound detection and discrimination. Their standard audiological test results will also be collected from their audiology service provider/s. Both sets of test results will be given to the participating audiologists in the experimental arm.
Provision of standard audiological test results only
The provision of test results to the audiologist will be the same as in the experimental arm, but without the fNIRS test results included.
Locations (5)
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bionics Institute
Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Barwon Health
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Hearing Australia
Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia
The Royal Children's Hospital
Parkville, Victoria, Australia