Clinical Trial: FM Systems on Children With Auditory Processing Disorders

Study Status: Enrolling by invitation
Recruit Status: Enrolling by invitation
Study Type: Interventional



Official Title: Effects of Frequency Modulation (FM) Assistive Listening Device Systems on Listening and Related Skills in Children With Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)

Brief Summary:

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a disorder where the functions of the ear (outer, middle, inner) are normal but the person has difficulty identifying or discriminating sounds (Dawes & Bishop, 2009) and experiences listening difficulties in noise. Personal Frequency Modulation (FM) systems are wireless listening devices that pick up the speaker's voice and transmit it to a receiver in the listener's ear. In this way, the negative effects of ambient noise, distance from speaker and reverberation are reduced (Keith & Purdy, 2014).

The principal research question is whether FM systems improve auditory attention, listening in noise performance and listening in spatialised noise in children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) in relation to just auditory training alone. We hypothesize that the FM system will lead to improved attention scores, improved speech in noise perception (aided and unaided) and improved ability to listen in spatialised noise that after prolonged FM use (6 months). Additionally, we hypothesise that these results will correlate with questionnaires (filled out by parents, teachers and children).

Thirty (30) children with a diagnosis of an APD from the Great Ormond Street Hospital Audiology clinic will be recruited. The children need to fulfil the following criteria:

  1. Diagnosis of APD (based on routine clinical tests at GOSH):

    1. Abnormal performance on the auditory figure ground test (a speech in noise test) of the SCAN-C (i.e. at the 1st percentile score as per UK norms), or in the High-Cue or Low-Cue score of the LiSN-S test and
    2. Abnormal performance i