Early use of a cochlear implant in the first year
Early Cochlear Implant Use
This project will test whether adults newly fitted with a cochlear implant notice changes in simple sound perception and improved speech understanding during their first year of device use using take-home and lab listening tests.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 25 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 85 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NYU Langone Health Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New York, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT07114744 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational protocol follows adults who are postlingually deaf and are receiving their first cochlear implant, with recruitment occurring prior to implantation. Participants will receive take-home computers and test equipment and complete about 25 remote test sessions over the first three months after activation, followed by three laboratory visits up to one year post-activation. A control group of experienced users who report stable performance will also be included for comparison. The primary aim is to quantify how simple sound discrimination changes and how those changes relate to improvements in speech perception during early device use.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18–85 with postlingual severe-to-profound hearing loss who are receiving their first cochlear implant and have no diagnosed cognitive or communicative disorders.
Not a fit: People younger than 18 or older than 85, those with diagnosed cognitive or communicative disorders, those with prelingual deafness, or those who already have cochlear implant experience are unlikely to benefit from this particular project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help clinicians tailor early programming and rehabilitation to speed and maximize speech understanding for new cochlear implant users.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that speech perception and simple sound discrimination commonly improve over the months after cochlear implant activation, so this work builds on established findings by measuring detailed early time courses.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Postlingually deaf cochlear implant users 2. severe or profound hearing loss 3. who do not have other diagnoses communicative or cognitive disorders. 4. Test population: no prior experience with cochlear implants (recruitment happens prior to cochlear implantation). 5. Control population: subjects who have used the same stimulation strategy since initial stimulation, who note no continuing improvements or changes with their devices with respect to speech comprehension. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosed cognitive or communicative disorders (other than deafness) 2. Below 18 years of age 3. Above the age of 85 years old.
Where this trial is running
New York, New York
- NYU Langone Health — New York, New York, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mario A. Svirsky, PhD — NYU Langone Health
- Study coordinator: Ariel E. Hight, PhD
- Email: Ariel.hight@nyulangone.org
- Phone: 212-263-7217
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.