Benefits of Choir for Older Adults With Unaddressed Hearing Loss (WP2)

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

210 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-04-15

Study Completion Date

2026-09-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Unaddressed age-related hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults, typified by negative consequences for speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. There is promising evidence that group singing may enhance speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing. However, there is a lack of robust evidence, primarily due to the literature being based on small sample sizes, single site studies, and a lack of randomized controlled trials. Hence, to address these concerns, this SingWell Project study utilizes an appropriate sample size, multisite, randomized controlled trial approach, with a robust preplanned statistical analysis.

The objective of the study is to explore if group singing may improve speech-in-noise perception and psychosocial wellbeing for older adults with unaddressed hearing loss.

The investigators designed an international, multisite, randomized controlled trial to explore the benefits of group singing for adults aged 60 years and older with unaddressed hearing loss. After undergoing an eligibility screening process and completing an information and consent form, the investigators intend to recruit 210 participants that will be randomly assigned to either group singing or an audiobook club (control group) intervention for a training period of 12-weeks. The study has multiple timepoints for testing, that are broadly categorized as macro (i.e., pre- and post-measures across the 12-weeks), or micro timepoints (i.e., pre- and post-measures across a weekly training session). Macro measures include behavioural measures of speech and music perception, and psychosocial questionnaires. Micro measures include psychosocial questionnaires and heart-rate variability.

The investigators hypothesize that group singing may be effective at improving speech perception and psychosocial outcomes for older adults with unaddressed hearing loss-more so than participants in the control group.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Effects of Short-term Choir Participation on Auditory Perception in Hearing-aided Older Adults.

NCT03604185

Hearing Loss Auditory Perception Music Therapy +1 more

TERMINATED NA

Short-Term Music Training and Auditory Processing in Older Adults

NCT03999606

Music Education

COMPLETED NA

The Effect of Sound Stimulation on Hearing Ability

NCT01434446

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

COMPLETED NA

Hearing Health Equity Through Accessible Research and Solutions for Korean Americans

NCT06803394

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA

Functioning, Disability, and Quality of Life in the Adult Hearing Impaired

NCT00037986

Hearing Impaired

COMPLETED PHASE2

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Hearing Loss, Age-Related Speech Intelligibility Psychosocial Functioning

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

12 week RCT exploring the benefits of group singing and an audiobook club (1.5 hours per week)

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Group Singing

12 week group singing program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person choir instruction per week.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Audiobook Club

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

12 week audiobook club program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person discussion per week.

Audiobook Club

12 week group program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person audiobook club discussion per week.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Group Singing

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

12 week choir program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person instruction per week.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Group Singing

12 week choir program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person instruction per week.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Audiobook Club

12 week audiobook club program consisting of 1.5 hours of in-person discussion per week.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Adults aged 60 years and older;
2. Bilateral mild-to-moderate hearing loss (20-49 dB hearing level), measured using four-frequency pure-tone average across both ears (4FPTA) measured at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz;
3. Unaddressed hearing loss (i.e., participants must not currently use a hearing aid, cochlear implant, or assistive listening device);
4. No significant cognitive impairment, to be assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for people with hearing impairment (MoCA-H), with participants requiring a score ≥ 24;
5. Not use a pacemaker or anti-arrhythmic agents/medications;
6. Not currently participating in regular active music learning (e.g., choir, formal music training) or audiobook clubs within the last year; and
7. Sufficient language capacity to understand and complete the test materials. Note: all materials will be presented written and/or aurally in English at the sites located in Canada, United States of America, and Australia; Dutch at the Netherlands site; and German at the Germany site.

Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Frank Russo

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Frank Russo, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Toronto Metropolitan University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.