Clinical Research Directory

New Approach to Objectively Measure Social Engagement in Older Adults With Hearing Loss

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.

Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) in Children With No Cochleae or Auditory Nerves

This study is a feasibility study of the Nucleus 24 ABI in children without NF2. It will be conducted as a repeated-measures, single subject experiment in order to accommodate the known variability in cochlear implant clinical results. Data obtained in the course of this study will be compared with the existing published outcome data from children with normal hearing and with cochlear implants (CIs). These comparisons may provide additional useful information about the progress of ABI subjects' performance over time. Also, this may allow the results of the current study to be utilized to design future pivotal studies of the device in the pediatric population.

Hearing Screening in Adults Over 50 Years Old

The goal of this single-arm quasi-experimental study is to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and management of three different hearing screening methods in adults aged 50 years and older in the Czech Republic. The main questions it aims to answer are: Are the selected hearing screening methods effective in detecting hearing loss in the target population? Can these methods be successfully implemented within the national healthcare system to address gaps in current practices? Participants will: 1. Undergo hearing screening using all three methods, conducted by general practitioners, to assess their performance. 2. Complete follow-up evaluations conducted by ENT specialists to confirm diagnostic results.