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Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology

The University of Texas at Dallas · NCT06840015

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18–60 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
24
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
July 1, 2025
Record last updated
August 10, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

The goal of this study is to investigate the suitability and effectiveness of the AirPod Pro 2nd and 3rd generation (AP) as hearing assistive technology for individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening in noisy environments. Researchers will compare four types of assistive technology: hearing aids (HAs), AP, dedicated wireless remote microphones, and Smartphone wireless remote microphone.

The main questions it aims to answer are

  • Which assistive technology provides the greatest benefit for speech recognition in noisy environments?
  • How do these devices impact listening effort, as measured by reaction time in a dual-task activity and changes in pupil size?
  • What are participants' preferences for each device based on how easy it is to understand speech and their overall satisfaction? Participants will visit the lab for a single 3-hour session. They will listen to sentences using each device and repeat what they hear. During this task, their reaction times for the secondary task and changes in pupil size will be measured.

Being studied: Airpod Pro as hearing assistive technology

Conditions: Hearing Loss, Adult-Onset; Hearing Aids

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Adults aged 18 to 60 years.
  • Fluent English speakers.
  • Mild-to-moderate hearing loss confirmed by a pure-tone hearing test (average hearing threshold screening 25 to 55 dB HL across octave frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz).
  • Individuals with no prior hearing aid experience for a year.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Normal hearing.
  • Hearing loss worse than moderate.
  • Neurological, psychiatric, or ophthalmological conditions that might alter the pupil response.
  • Non-fluent English speakers.
  • Individuals with prior hearing aid experience more than a year.

Recruiting US locations

  • Callier Center for Communication Disorders

    Richardson, TX 75080

    Site contact: Kim, Ph.D. · 480-616-4403 · Seeon.Kim@utdallas.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Linda Thibodeau, Ph.D. · 972-883-3108 · thib@utdallas.edu
  • Seeon Kim, Ph.D. · 4806164403 · Seeon.Kim@utdallas.edu
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Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology (NCT06840015) | Bored Studies