The studies listed below provide examples of work being conducted at Boys Town National Research Hospital. All of these studies have been approved by the Boys Town National Research Hospital’s Institutional Review Board. These studies are currently enrolling participants.
Hearing Aid Research Study for Children and Adults
Do you have hearing loss? You can be part of a study to help determine the effectiveness of a new type of hearing aid. You do not need to use hearing aids to qualify.
You may be eligible if you:
- Are between 7 and 18 years of age,
- Have hearing loss in both ears,
- Can attend one or two, 2-hour study visits
Participants will receive a free hearing test by a licensed audiologist, and will be asked to repeat words, listen to and watch stories, and judge the quality of sentences and music. Children also receive a free vocabulary test. Participants are compensated $15.00 per hour and will be paid mileage for travel greater than 50 miles one-way. Appointments are available days, evenings, and Saturdays.
Please contact us if you would like to participate in this study, or have questions.
Colleen Gibilisco
colleen.gibilisco@boystown.org
402-498-6705
Judy Kopun
judy.kopun@boystown.org
402-498-6373
Adult Dizziness Research Study
The purpose of this study is to examine factors that may cause or trigger Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), a form of dizziness, with the intent on finding better treatment options for people who suffer from this condition.
If you have received an invitation letter to participate in this study, and you have been diagnosed with BPPV, please click on the link below to complete the survey.
If you have any questions about this study, please contact Ayoola Ogun at 402-498-6336 or Ayoola.Ogun@boystown.org
Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss:
The purpose of this study is to understand factors that lead to success or struggles for children and their families. Children will be tested at least once a year for three consecutive years in areas of hearing, speech, language, social and academic development. Parents will be interviewed on the telephone and children's teachers will be asked to complete surveys. Test sessions are held at a speech and hearing center close to your home. Monetary compensation is provided.
Your child may be eligible for this study if:
- Your child has a confirmed mild to severe hearing loss and is 6 months through 6 years, 11 months of age.
- Your child has normail hearing and is 18 months through 5 years of age
- Click here to see our study brochure
If you are interested in participating, contact a research team member in your area.
- Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri:
Meredith Spratford (402) 452-5054 or meredith.spratford@boystown.org
- Iowa:
Marlea O'Brien (800) 551-5601 or marlea-obrien@uniowa.edu
- North Carolina-Chapel Hill:
Melody Harrison (919) 966-9459 or melody_harrison@med.unc.edu
Children with Minimal Hearing Loss:
The purpose of this study is to help us understand the difficulties that may be experienced by young people who have mild degrees of hearing loss or hearing loss in one ear. Monetary compensation is provided.
Your child may be eligible for this study if:
- Your child is between 8 and 12 years of age and has mild or unilateral hearing loss
- Your child can attend 3 (1 to 2 hour) study visits
- You can complete a parent telephone interview
- Click here to see our study brochure
If you are interested in participating please contact, Dawna Lewis at (402) 498-6607 or dawna.lewis@boystown.org
Cochlear Implant Research Study:
The purpose of this study is to compare auditory-nerve responses to perceptual measures made with a cochlear implant. This study involves several experiments. CI recipients are invited to participate in some or all of the experiments. Participants are needed for approximately 4-9 hours per experiment, which can be scheduled over seveal visits. For this study, participants will (1) read, sleep, or watch a movie while sounds are played through the CI; (2) listen to sounds played through the CI and make judgements about the sounds; and/or (3) listen to speech through the CI and repeat back what is heard. Monetary compensation is provided for hourly participation and travel. You do not need to be a patient at Boys Town to participate.
You may be eligible for this study if:
- You are 11 years of age or older
- Have used a cochlear implant for 3 months or more
- Your cochlear implant has telemetry capabilities (please inquire if unsure of device type)
- Click here to see our study brochure
If you are interested in participating please contact Michelle Hughes at (402) 452-5038 or michelle.hughes@boystown.org
Infant Audio Visual Development Study
The purpose of this study is to look at how infants understand which sounds belong to certain objects; how they use visual information on a talker's face to perceive speech; and how and why parents talk differently when speaking to infants.
Your child may be eligible for this study if:
- Your child is between 2 and 6 months of age
- You and your child can attend one 45 minute study visit
If you are interested in participating please contact the Perceptual Development Lab at (402) 452-5091 or perceptual.development@boystown.org
Our research scientists need infants, children and adults of all ages with normal hearing, hearing loss and cochlear implants to learn more about speech, language and hearing. If you are interested in participating in hearing studies, please contact Colleen Gibilisco, Core Coordinator, (402) 498-6705 or colleen.gibilisco@boystown.org. Click here if you would like to have your name and/or your children's names added to our database of interested research volunteers.