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CompletedNCT04875117Updated May 6, 2021

Fatigue and Hearing Loss.

An observational study in Hearing Loss and Fatigue, sponsored by University of Nottingham. Completed at 2 sites in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-05-06.

Sponsored by University of Nottingham · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
129
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

An intervention group and a control group will complete a battery of questionnaires at four time points to investigate the impact of first-ever hearing aid fitting on fatigue and associated variables. The study is observational as all participants in the intervention group will already be receiving their first-ever hearing aid as part of their routine audiological care.

Read the detailed description

Hearing Impairment leads to increased listening effort which could result in short and/or long term fatigue. Previous research has shown that people with a hearing loss score higher on fatigue questionnaires than people without a hearing loss. Hearing Aid fitting has been shown to reduce fatigue in an objective measurement study, however no reduction has been shown using subjective measurement. To examine the effect of hearing aid fitting on fatigue a longitudinal study will be conducted. A battery of questionnaires measuring fatigue, listening effort, daily activity, need for cognition and hearing handicap as well as an objective hearing test will be conducted at 4 time points. These time points will be a baseline assessment before hearing aid fitting, 2 weeks after fitting (\~3 months after baseline), 3 months after fitting and 6 months after fitting. A control group with no change in hearing aid status will also be measured at these time points. The study is observational as all participants in the intervention group will already be receiving their first-ever hearing aid as part of their routine audiological care. This study monitors the effect of the hearing aid fitting.

The general hypothesis is that hearing aid fitting will reduce fatigue. More specifically it is expected that fatigue will increase immediately after fitting and then decrease by the 6 month time point. It is also expected that social activity levels will increase after fitting and that individual differences in this activity change will explain some of the differences between participants in rate of change in fatigue. It is predicted that high Need for Cognition and Hearing Handicap scores will increase the amount of change in fatigue for the intervention group. 57 participants will be recruited for each group, each participant being involved in the study for no more than 7 months with the study running for a total of 15 months. The data will be analysed using multi-level analysis.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hearing Loss
  • Fatigue
03

In context

Hearing Loss

1,092 studies on the registry are indexed under Hearing Loss; 235 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 129 is above the median of 87 across 270 observational studies indexed under Hearing Loss.

Browse Hearing Loss studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Nottingham is the lead sponsor of 455 studies on the registry; 77 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

The study population are adults with hearing loss. The intervention group are those already due to receive their first-ever hearing aid as part of their routine audiological care, while the controls experience no change in hearing aid status for at least one year.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • A self-reported hearing loss.
  • Aged between 18 and 75 years old.

Inclusion criteria for intervention group only:

  • Must already have an appointment arranged to receive a hearing aid for the first time.

Inclusion criteria for control group only:

  • No change in hearing aid status (including new models) for the past 1 year.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non fluent English speakers. (To maintain validity of results as English language questionnaires are used)
  • Inability to read (In order to complete the questionnaires).
  • Inability to visit on multiple occasions over 7 months (e.g. can't be planning to move away from the area).
  • Inability to give full informed consent.
  • Primary complaint of tinnitus.
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
129 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Intervention

    Participants who are due to receive their first-ever hearing aid(s) as part of their routine audiological care.

    Device: Hearing aid

  • Control

    Participants with hearing loss who have not experienced any change in hearing aid status for at least 1 year.

Interventions

  • DeviceHearing aid

    One or two behind the ear hearing aids provided by the UK National Health Service.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS)

    A self-report measure of general fatigue.

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory - short form (MFSI-SF)

    A self-report measure of general fatigue.

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  2. Change in Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS)

    A self-report measure of listening-related fatigue.

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  3. Change in Listening Effort Assessment Questionnaire (LEAS)

    A self-report measure of listening effort

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  4. Change in International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ)

    A self-report measure of physical activity

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  5. Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART)

    A self-report measure of work activity

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  6. Change in Social Participation Restrictions Questionnaire (SPaRQ)

    A self-report measure of social participation restrictions

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  7. Change in Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ)

    A self-report measure of social activity

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  8. Change in Social activity log (SAL)

    A self-report measure of social activity

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  9. Change in Auditory Lifestyle Demand Questionnaire (ALDQ)

    A self-report measure of auditory lifestyle

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

  10. Need for Cognition Scale (NFCS)

    A self-report measure of participants' enjoyment of cognitive challenges.

    Time frame: Once at baseline assessment only

  11. Change in Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA)

    A self-report measure of hearing handicap

    Time frame: Baseline, 3 months after baseline, 6 months after baseline and 9 months after baseline.

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • NHS audiology department, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
    Glasgow, G312ER, United Kingdom
  • University of Nottingham Hearing Sciences - Scottish Section
    Glasgow, G312ER, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — All anonymised raw data are to be made available upon request.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 6, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04875117
Lead sponsor
University of Nottingham
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 6, 2021
Start date
Apr 4, 2018
Primary completion
Dec 12, 2019
Completion
Dec 12, 2019
Last update
May 6, 2021

Study contacts

Graham Naylor
principal investigator · Director

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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