Fall Risk Assessment and Speech Intelligibility Enhancement Using In-ear Device

Launched by STANFORD UNIVERSITY · May 3, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how special hearing aids, which have built-in sensors and smart technology, can help assess the risk of falling in older adults and improve their ability to understand speech. The researchers want to see if these devices can not only help people hear better, even in noisy environments, but also track their activity levels and social interactions. The goal is to find ways to reduce falls and enhance the overall quality of life for individuals who use hearing aids.

To participate in this study, you need to be at least 55 years old, use hearing aids in both ears, and be able to understand and consent to the study in English. You also need access to a smartphone that can run the study's app. If you feel unsteady when standing or walking, worry about falling, or have fallen in the past year, you may qualify. However, those with severe mobility or cognitive issues may not be eligible. Participants can expect to engage in various assessments to help gather important information, and their feedback could lead to better fall prevention strategies and improved hearing aid technology in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 55 years or older
• • Bilateral hearing aid user
• • Able to consent in English
• • Having access to a phone capable of running the mobile app required for the study
• • Screen for fall risk ("Yes" to any question: Feels unsteady when standing or walking? Worries about falling? Has fallen in past year? If the participant has fallen: how many times? were they injured/hurt?)
• • Ambulatory without need for a wheelchair
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • People with mobility restrictions (e.g., wheelchair bound) that would prevent the performance of the functional assessments.
• • People with severe movement (e.g., Advanced Parkinson's disease) or cognitive (e.g., advanced dementia) disorders that would prevent the individual from either performing the functional assessments, or would lead to restricted activities that would prevent motion data from being collected according to the goal of the study.
• • Inability to understand, consent, and complete requirements including verbal instructions and non-ambulatory/wheelchair-dependent.