Back to search results

Hearing Aids for Veterans With Functional Hearing Difficulties

This study is looking at whether hearing aids can help Veterans who have trouble hearing and communicating, even though their standard hearing tests appear normal. Many Veterans experience these "functional hearing difficulties." You might be eligible if you are a Veteran, aged 18-79, can travel to VA Portland Medical Center, and have specific hearing test results and a score of 24 or higher on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), which measures how much hearing difficulties affect your daily life. The study will provide either Communication Counseling, Hearing Aids, or Remote Microphones to see if these interventions improve your hearing and communication. We will measure success by looking at changes in your HHIA score over 2 and 6 months. The current recruitment status for this study is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 142 participants. Participants will be assigned to receive either Communication Counseling, Hearing Aids, or Remote Microphones.
What's involved
You would need to travel to VA Portland Medical Center for repeated visits. Your hearing will be assessed at the start, and then again at 2 and 6 months after you begin the study.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 6 months after they are assigned to a study group.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06117254

Hearing Aids for Veterans With Functional Hearing Difficulties

Recruiting
NAAges 18–79InterventionalTreatment
VA Office of Research and Development
~142 participants
Updated 2026-04-20 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Communication CounselingHearing AidsRemote Microphones

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) score
Measured over Baseline and 2- and 6-months post randomization

Conditions

Auditory Processing Disorder

Explore related trials

Auditory Perceptual Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Oregon1

Study leadership

  • Melissa A Papesh, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR

Who to contact

Melissa A Papesh, PhD
[email protected]
(503) 220-8262
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Veteran eligible for VA Healthcare
Ability to travel to VA Portland Medical Center for repeated visits
Pure-tone thresholds of no more than 30 dB HL at frequencies between 500 and 3000 Hz, and no more than 40 dB HL at 4000 Hz
HHIA scores of 24 or greater indicating moderate to significant perceived hearing handicap

Exclusion

Conductive hearing loss or other significant otologic problems
Non-native English speakers
Inability to perform experimental tasks
Pure-tone interaural threshold asymmetries greater than 15 dB between 250 and 4000 Hz

What this trial measures

  • Change in Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA) scoreBaseline and 2- and 6-months post randomization

    The HHIA is a self-report measure of the impact of hearing difficulties on daily life and functioning, including social and emotional affects. It is comprised of 25 questions with total scores from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater levels of perceived hearing handicap.