Brain scans could reveal how well hearing aids work in infants
NCT ID NCT04696835
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study explores whether a brain-scanning technique called fNIRS can measure how well hearing aids help young children with hearing loss. Researchers will compare brain activity in 40 infants (3-18 months old) with normal hearing and those using hearing aids. If fNIRS proves reliable, it could offer a better way to fit hearing aids in children who cannot yet respond to standard hearing tests.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain scan
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a new way to assess hearing aid benefits in very young children who cannot respond to standard hearing tests.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 40 children, so results may not apply broadly. The technique is still experimental and may not reliably measure brain activity in all cases.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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3 to 18 months
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Group A: Infants and toddlers 3-18 months of age who are normal hearing. * Group B: Infants and toddlers aged 3 to 18 months with sensorineural hearing loss fitted with a unilateral or bilateral hearing aid with optimized adjustments by the hearing healthcare professional. * Socially insured subject * Parents or guardians who have given their consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Medical condition that does not allow for research compliance.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hopital Roger Salengro, CHU Lille
RECRUITINGLille, 59037, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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