An observational study in Hearing Loss and Deafness, sponsored by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 99 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-29.
Sponsored by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) · Observational
Background:
People with hearing, balance, and taste, smell, voice, speech, language, and other Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) disorders may seek treatment at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Some of these people may benefit from enrolling in the NIDCD intramural research program to receive their care. Enrolling will also allow investigators to collect participants clinical data and specimens for future research.
Objective:
This natural history study has 2 goals: (1) to collect data and specimens that may be used for research; and (2) to evaluate participants who may be candidates for other research studies.
Eligibility:
People aged 2 years or older with a hearing, balance, and communication disorder. Those at risk or who are suspected of having such a disorder are also eligible.
Design:
Participants will be screened. Their medical records will be reviewed.
Participants will agree to have their medical data used for research. Specimens such as blood or other tissue samples may also be used for research. All data and specimens will be collected during their routine care visits.
All tests done will be the normal care for each participant s condition. No tests will be done solely for research.
Some of these tests may require blood or tissue samples. Some may use special tools to test hearing and balance. Some may test heart or lung function. These tests may also include different types of imaging scans.
All tests will be explained. Participants may ask questions at any time.
Participants may remain in this study for up to 2 years. If they need further care, they may sign a new consent.
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Study Description:
It may be in the interest of the NIDCD Clinical Research Program (CRP) to collect clinical data or specimens generated in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, language, and other Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) disorders and to evaluate patients to determine candidacy for intramural clinical studies. This protocol will provide the administrative vehicle to enable the evaluation and provision of clinical care for patients with hearing, balance and communication disorders by the NIDCD CRP, Clinical Center, and consult services as well as to provide a repository of information on enrolled subjects to allow for hypothesis generation in future research. No investigational therapies will be administered in this study. As part of hypothesisgenerating research related to taste and oral sensation, participants may undergo brief sensory testing using food-grade tannic acid solutions. This testing is designed to characterize taste, mouthfeel, and chemesthetic responses and does not involve administration of investigational agents or swallowing of test solutions.
Objectives:
160 studies on the registry are indexed under Deafness; 46 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 600 is above the median of 101 across 47 observational studies indexed under Deafness.
Browse Deafness studies →National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) is the lead sponsor of 37 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
Compared within Deafness, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Hearing Loss. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Patients at risk, suspected of having, have a history of, or currently have a diagnosed hearing, balance and communication disorders referred to NIDCD Clinical Investigators by the Intramural Consult Service or community providers
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
Participants without known or suspected PIEZO2-related sensory dysfunction will not be asked to complete the sensory testing component. Additional exclusion criteria for taste testing only procedures include:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients at risk, suspected of having, have a history of, or currently have a diagnosed hearing, balance or communication disorder.
Clinical data collection
To collect clinical data or specimens generated in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing, balance and communication disorders
Time frame: Ongoing
Evaluation for clinical studies
To evaluate patients to determine candidacy for intramural clinical studies
Time frame: Ongoing
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) →