How cochlear implants affect listening effort and understanding in everyday conversations
Cochlear Implants and Listening Effort: the Interaction of Cognitive and Sensory Constraints
NA · NYU Langone Health · NCT07279441
The researchers will test whether measuring listening effort with pupil tracking and using realistic speech tasks can explain and improve how adults with cochlear implants understand everyday conversations.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 460 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NYU Langone Health (other) |
| Locations | 2 sites (Waltham, Massachusetts and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07279441 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This research uses six connected experiments to study how adults with cochlear implants comprehend speech in realistic communication settings. The team combines pupillometry (pupil dilation as an index of listening effort) with behavioral speech-recognition and a validated discourse-comprehension framework that distinguishes main ideas from details. Experiments manipulate linguistic context, cognitive load (for example remembering multiple sentences), and processing time (including self-paced presentation), and include normal-hearing controls listening to vocoded speech. Participants aged 18–80 complete a comprehensive baseline battery and attend lab sessions at NYU Langone or Brandeis, with one experiment designed for clinical application.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18–80 who use cochlear implants, are native American English speakers, and have no neurologic, psychiatric, or non–hearing-related language disorders are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 18, non-native speakers of American English, or individuals with neurologic, psychiatric, or language disorders beyond hearing loss are unlikely to be eligible or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could lead to better tests and rehabilitation strategies that reduce listening effort and improve real-world communication for cochlear implant users.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory work using pupillometry and vocoder simulations has linked listening effort to speech recognition, but applying these methods to longer discourse comprehension in cochlear implant users is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Subjects will be otherwise healthy normal-hearing and cochlear implant (CI) adult listeners (between 18 and 80 years old). Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals below 18 years of age. * Individuals with evidence of neurologic, vascular or psychiatric disease or dementia, and taking medications that might interfere with task performance. * Individuals with a history of language disorders (besides those associated with hearing loss for the CI users). Individuals who are non-native speakers of American English.
Where this trial is running
Waltham, Massachusetts and 1 other locations
- Brandeis University — Waltham, Massachusetts, United States (RECRUITING)
- NYU Langone Health — New York, New York, United States (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mario A. Svirsky, PhD — NYU Langone Health
- Study coordinator: Mario A. Svirsky, PhD
- Email: Mario.svirsky@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.
Conditions: Cochlear Implant Users, CI, Cochlear implant