Exploiting the Potential of Neural Attentional Control to Overcome Hearing Impairment
University of Zurich
275 participants
Nov 1, 2023
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This study will improve the understanding of the cerebral mechanisms that underlie the control of auditory selective attention and evaluate the potential of neuromodulation to enhance neural attention control as a possible way to overcome hearing impairment. First, electroencephalography (EEG) will be applied to identify neural marker of auditory attention in individuals with hearing loss (HL), tinnitus (TI) and normal hearing (NH). Afterwards, the importance of the identified markers for attention control will be tested using non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and neurofeedback (NF).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria13
- Age: 18-35 / 55-75
- German as first language
- Normal or corrected to normal vision
- Right-handed
- Normal hearing, hearing impairment or tinnitus (see specified inclusion)
- Normal hearing: ≤20 decibel (dB) hearing level (HL) at frequencies from 250 Hz to 8,000 Hz for both ears.
- Specified inclusion for Experiment 1, 2, 3 \& 4:
- Hearing loss:
- bilateral symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss
- pure tone thresholds of ≥25 dB HL at one or more frequencies between 250 Hz and 8,000 Hz and differences in thresholds across the two ears of ≤20 dB at every frequency.
- Tinnitus:
- Persistent chronic tinnitus with duration of more than 3 months
- Tinnitus with a Tinnitus Handicap Inventory Grade 2 to 4 (18-76 points)
Exclusion Criteria13
- Non-symmetrical hearing loss
- Raised bi- or multilingually (second language acquired earlier than 6 years of age)
- Women who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding
- History of brain injury or any neurological disorder (y/n)
- • For example, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, epilepsy etc.
- Dyslexia
- History of psychiatric disorder
- Recent recreational drug consumption
- Known or suspected drug or alcohol abuse
- Medication with cognitive side effects (e.g., psychoactive medications or sleeping pills)
- Metallic implants in the head region (excluding fixed braces and tooth fillings)
- Any implanted medical device (e.g., cardiac pacemakers)
- Previous enrolment in one of the experiments comprising the main investigational plan
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Interventions
TACS is a non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques that belong to the class of low current transcranial electric stimulation. In contrast to the better known transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the tACS current is not constant, but alternates with a certain frequency. The stimulation will be applied over the left temporo-parietal cortex at participants' individual alpha frequency. The stimulation intensity will be 2 milliampere (mA, peak-to-peak value, corresponding to a sine wave of ±1 mA amplitude). Stimulation will be delivered through conductive rubber electrodes.
During "sham stimulation" (placebo), tACS will be ramped up and down for 12 seconds , that is, no electric stimulation wil be applied during the actual experiment. The up and down ramping will be repeated at the end of the experiment. The sham condition serves to evoke sensations associated with tACS stimulation, but without stimulating during the actual experiment.
Neurofeedback (NF) is a non-invasive approach that combines neurophysiological recordings with real-time sensory feedback (most studies use visual feedback). Through real-time NF, individuals thus can learn to regulate their brain activity. In this study, NF will be based on concurrent EEG recordings. During NF, participants will observe a space ship automatically navigating through a narrow tunnel. The modulation of their neural alpha power lateralization into the trained direction will be rewarded by the acceleration of the space ship, a modulation in the opposite direction will reduce speed and autopilot accuracy.
Locations(1)
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NCT05513352