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NCT Number: NCT07416292

ListenFuture-Listening for Their Future: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents

ListenFuture, a nation-wide multidisciplinary project, brings new knowledge on complex associations between listening, cognition, language, literacy, and psychosocial wellbeing in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents. Earlier findings indicate that DHH adolescents remain at a risk to achieving age-appropriate skills. The associations among these skills can also be language-dependent. The investigators use behavioral methods and questionnaires. The investigators study speech perception in noise, listening, and listening-related fatigue to reveal how DHH adolescents cope in today's noisy environment. The investigators study cognitive skills and executive functions, spoken language and literacy skills to find out the current state-of-knowledge. The investigators study psychosocial wellbeing, school burnout and factors associated with them. The investigators will utilize supervised and interpretable machine learning to analyse the performance domains that could best predict the outcomes of DHH adolescents. The investigators expect our project to have broad societal impact for DHH adolescents, healthcare, school, and other stakeholders.

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Key information

Conditions

Hearing Disorders and Deafness Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout, Psychological Communication Deafness Ear Diseases Fatigue Hearing Disorders Hearing Loss Language Literacy Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms Stress, Psychological

Age range

11 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

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About this study

ListenFuture provides comprehensive insights into challenges deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents face in speech perception, language, and literacy, skills essential for use, creation, and integration of information. The investigators will explore the following skills and their complex associations: 1) auditory speech perception, 2) cognitive skills and executive functions, 3) spoken language, 4) literacy, and 5) psychosocial wellbeing and school burnout. The investigators will analyse the demographic, cognitive, speech perception and language processing domains that best predict the outcomes. ListenFuture has the potential to enhance the wellbeing and participation of DHH adolescents and provide valuable information for intervention services and policy making.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Group 1
  • Bilateral mild to complete hearing loss
  • Group 2:
  • Typical hearing (PTA<20dB)
  • Typical cognitive, linguistic and literacy development

Exclusion criteria

Group 1 and Group 2:

  • heart conditions
  • developmental brain disorders
  • chromosome anomalies
  • severe inner ear anomalies
  • impairments in both distance senses hearing and vision

Group 2:

  • concerns regarding attention and psychosocial wellbeing

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF5)

    Time frame: Day 1

    General language skills. Measurement of language performance against age-matched peers

Secondary outcomes

  1. Assessment of reading, writing and arithmetic skills (LUKILASSE)

    Time frame: Day 1

    Assessment of school skills in relation to the goals required by the grade level (in Finnish language)

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Heikki J Löppönen, MD Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

+358405656183

Taina T Välimaa, PhD Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

+358405399432

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Heikki Löppönen

Other

Collaborators

  • Helsinki University Central Hospital
  • Kuopio University Hospital
  • Oulu University Hospital
  • Tampere University Hospital
  • Turku University Hospital
  • University of Melbourne
  • University of Oulu
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Åbo Akademi University

Registry information

Official study title

ListenFuture-Listening for Their Future: The Complex Associations Between Hearing, Cognition, Spoken Language, Literacy and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents

Acronym: ListenFuture

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2031
First posted
Feb 18, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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