Auditory-cognitive Dual-task TrainingNCT07730775
Strengthening the Ear-to-brain Connection in Older Adults With Hearing Loss Through Engaging Web-based Gamified Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training: a Randomized Controlled Trial
A study testing Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training system in people with Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Trial summary
Abstract Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a web-based gamified auditory-cognitive dual-task training (ACDT) in improving the everyday listening abilities of older adults with hearing loss (HL), including speech perception performance, cognition, and self-reported hearing. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training
- What is being tested?
- Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training system
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 164 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 14 Nov 2026to 13 Nov 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Ethnic Chinese aged 60 years and above, who speak Cantonese or Putonghua;
- Mild-to-moderate peripheral hearing loss diagnosed by a pure-tone average of 20-50 dB across octave frequencies of 0.5-4kHz in both ears;
- Not using hearing aids;
- Sensorineural hearing loss (defined as an air-bone gap across 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz<15 dB); and 5) No cognitive impairment [score of ≦2 on the 5-item Abbreviated Memory Inventory for the Chinese (AMIC)].
Who cannot join
- Previously took part in a training intervention study;
- Diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder;
- A history of symptomatic stroke or other disease of the central nervous system; speech/ language disorders;
- A serious medical or psychiatric illness (e.g., severe depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder) or a visual impairment that would interfere with engaging in web-based training.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Abstract Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a web-based gamified auditory-cognitive dual-task training (ACDT) in improving the everyday listening abilities of older adults with hearing loss (HL), including speech perception performance, cognition, and self-reported hearing.
Hypothesis to be tested ACDT participants will show significantly greater improvements in 1) self-reported hearing; 2) speech perception-in-noise; 3) attention; 4) reasoning; and 5) dual-task of listening and working memory compared to the control group at week 6, immediately post-intervention, and week 24.
Read more
Design and subjects A prospective, single-blinded, two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial with individual semi-structured interviews. 164 Chinese adults aged 60 years or older, who speak Cantonese or Putonghua, and have mild-to-moderate HL with a pure-tone average of 20-50 dB across octave frequencies 0.5 to 4kHz in both ears.
Study instruments A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive dual-task training. Interventions This is a 12-week program conducted five times a week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, following a sequential dual-task training design. Each session includes auditory training in speech-in-noise, rapid speech, and competing speaker, and cognitive training focusing on executive function, perceptual-motor ability, memory, and complex attention.
Main outcome measures Self-reported hearing (untrained); Speech perception in noise (trained), attention in listening and sustained selective attention (trained), reasoning (trained), and dual-task of listening and working memory; complex span working memory (trained).
Data analysis Descriptive statistics, an independent sample t-test or chi square test, generalized estimating equation and thematic analysis will be used.
Expected results ACDT significantly improves the everyday listening abilities of older adults with HL.
- Conditions
- Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training
- Being tested
- Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training system, Control
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training systemBehavioural
The intervention is a 12-week sequential dual-task training program delivered five times per week for 60 minutes per session. Each session includes 5 minutes of volume adjustment and orientation exercises, 25 minutes of adaptive auditory training in speech-in-noise, rapid speech, and competing-speaker listening, 25 minutes of culturally tailored cognitive games targeting executive function, memory, attention, and perceptual-motor skills, and a 5-minute wrap-up with communication strategies and long-term memory recall. The program uses real-life scenarios, individualized difficulty adjustment, audiovisual guidance, and gamified features such as praise, fireworks, likes, and leaderboards to enhance engagement.
ControlBehavioural
Participants will be instructed to complete web-based Chinese crossword puzzles 60 minutes per day and five days a week. Medium difficulty level will be selected for participants according to previous research.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training | Experimental | A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training (ACDT) will be provided to participants. Each participant will receive a 12-week program conducted five times a week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, following a sequential dual-task training design. Receives: Behavioral: Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training system |
| Crossword puzzles control group | Placebo comparator | Participants will be instructed to complete web-based Chinese crossword puzzles 60 minutes per day and five days a week. Receives: Behavioral: Control |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly
will be measured using the Chinese Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), which is a 25-item validated questionnaire that quantifies the emotional and social/situational effects of self-perceived hearing impairment to quantify hearing-related quality of life.
Measured: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
Secondary outcomes (4)
The Cantonese Hearing in Noise Test
a standardized Cantonese sentence speech-intelligibility test, assesses speech reception thresholds for sentences in quiet and in spatially simulated noise presented from the front, right, or left. It has demonstrated low within-list response variability and high inter-list reliability, with normative results comparable to those of the English Hearing in Noise Test.
Measured: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
The Chinese Auditory Verbal Learning Test
The Chinese Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), which assesses multiple cognitive domains including immediate recall, learning efficiency, delayed recall, retention rate, and recognition memory, and has demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICC=0.79-0.82) and 78% sensitivity;
Measured: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
The Chinese Trial Making Test Part A& B
The Chinese Trial Making Test Part A\& B (TMT A\&B), which measures visual attention, processing speed, and executive function, and has shown strong discriminant validity (d=1.2 for vascular dementia)
Measured: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
Dual task of listening and working memory
complex span working memory (trained): Participants are shown a string of five digits for 5 seconds to memorize for later recall. They then hear a list of five AB isophonemic monosyllabic CVC words (e.g., ship, rug, rail) in ICRA 6-talker babble at a 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio and must repeat each word immediately. After each word list, they recall the five digits.
Measured: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Jul 2026
- Study start14 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion13 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion13 Nov 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Auditory-cognitive Dual-task TrainingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 164 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07730775
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 23240731
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 28 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Strengthening the Ear-to-brain Connection in Older Adults With Hearing Loss Through Engaging Web-based Gamified Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training: a Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07730775
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 23240731
- Conditions
- Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 164 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 13 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 13 Nov 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Abstract Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a web-based gamified auditory-cognitive dual-task training (ACDT) in improving the everyday listening abilities of older adults with hearing loss (HL), including speech perception performance, cognition, and self-reported hearing.
Hypothesis to be tested ACDT participants will show significantly greater improvements in 1) self-reported hearing; 2) speech perception-in-noise; 3) attention; 4) reasoning; and 5) dual-task of listening and working memory compared to the control group at week 6, immediately post-intervention, and week 24.
Design and subjects A prospective, single-blinded, two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial with individual semi-structured interviews. 164 Chinese adults aged 60 years or older, who speak Cantonese or Putonghua, and have mild-to-moderate HL with a pure-tone average of 20-50 dB across octave frequencies 0.5 to 4kHz in both ears.
Study instruments A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive dual-task training. Interventions This is a 12-week program conducted five times a week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, following a sequential dual-task training design. Each session includes auditory training in speech-in-noise, rapid speech, and competing speaker, and cognitive training focusing on executive function, perceptual-motor ability, memory, and complex attention.
Main outcome measures Self-reported hearing (untrained); Speech perception in noise (trained), attention in listening and sustained selective attention (trained), reasoning (trained), and dual-task of listening and working memory; complex span working memory (trained).
Data analysis Descriptive statistics, an independent sample t-test or chi square test, generalized estimating equation and thematic analysis will be used.
Expected results ACDT significantly improves the everyday listening abilities of older adults with HL.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training | Experimental | Behavioral: Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training systemA web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training (ACDT) will be provided to participants. Each participant will receive a 12-week program conducted five times a week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, following a sequential dual-task training design. |
| Crossword puzzles control group | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: ControlParticipants will be instructed to complete web-based Chinese crossword puzzles 60 minutes per day and five days a week. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Ethnic Chinese aged 60 years and above, who speak Cantonese or Putonghua;
- Mild-to-moderate peripheral hearing loss diagnosed by a pure-tone average of 20-50 dB across octave frequencies of 0.5-4kHz in both ears;
- Not using hearing aids;
- Sensorineural hearing loss (defined as an air-bone gap across 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz<15 dB); and 5) No cognitive impairment [score of ≦2 on the 5-item Abbreviated Memory Inventory for the Chinese (AMIC)].
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Previously took part in a training intervention study;
- Diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder;
- A history of symptomatic stroke or other disease of the central nervous system; speech/ language disorders;
- A serious medical or psychiatric illness (e.g., severe depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder) or a visual impairment that would interfere with engaging in web-based training.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training systemThe intervention is a 12-week sequential dual-task training program delivered five times per week for 60 minutes per session. Each session includes 5 minutes of volume adjustment and orientation exercises, 25 minutes of adaptive auditory training in speech-in-noise, rapid speech, and competing-speaker listening, 25 minutes of culturally tailored cognitive games targeting executive function, memory, attention, and perceptual-motor skills, and a 5-minute wrap-up with communication strategies and long-term memory recall. The program uses real-life scenarios, individualized difficulty adjustment, audiovisual guidance, and gamified features such as praise, fireworks, likes, and leaderboards to enhance engagement. | Behavioural | A web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training |
| ControlParticipants will be instructed to complete web-based Chinese crossword puzzles 60 minutes per day and five days a week. Medium difficulty level will be selected for participants according to previous research. | Behavioural | Crossword puzzles control group |
Primary outcome
Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly
Time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
will be measured using the Chinese Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE), which is a 25-item validated questionnaire that quantifies the emotional and social/situational effects of self-perceived hearing impairment to quantify hearing-related quality of life.
4 secondary outcomes
The Cantonese Hearing in Noise Test
Time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
The Chinese Auditory Verbal Learning Test
Time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
The Chinese Trial Making Test Part A& B
Time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
Dual task of listening and working memory
Time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Web-based gamified auditory-cognitive sequential dual-task training system in people with Auditory-cognitive Dual-task Training, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ivy Yan Zhao (+8527664550, yan-ivy.zhao@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (time frame: at week 6, immediately post-intervention (week 12), and week 24). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Jul 2026.