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Cochlear Implantation in Children With Asymmetric Hearing Loss or Single-Sided Deafness Clinical Trial

Cochlear Implantation in Children With Asymmetric Hearing Loss or Single-Sided Deafness Clinical Trial

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04793412
Enrollment
80
Registered
2021-03-11
Start date
2021-09-20
Completion date
2026-10-30
Last updated
2026-03-11

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Asymmetric Hearing Loss, Single-sided Deafness, Unilateral Deafness

Keywords

hearing loss, cochlear implant

Brief summary

This is a two-phase study that compares performance growth pre-implant with current hearing aid (HA) technology versus post-implant with a cochlear implant (CI) in children with either asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD). Post-implant performance with a CI alone is expected to outperform pre-implant performance with a HA. The study also evaluates the effectiveness of bimodal hearing defined as a CI in the poor ear and a HA in the better ear for AHL or a CI in the poor ear and normal hearing in the better ear for SSD compared to pre-implant performance. The study examines factors contributing to CI outcomes.

Detailed description

The study is conducted as a multicenter, prospective, two-phase clinical trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of cochlear implantation in children with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD). A hearing aid (HA) phase occurs over a minimum of 4 mos prior to obtaining a cochlear implant (CI). A CI phase occurs over the 15-month period after initial activation of the CI. The AHL/SSD groups are tested for change in performance pre- to post-implant. Investigators also collect longitudinal data over 12 months (matching the 3 to 15 month post-implant timeframe) from normal hearing (NH) participants to provide additional information about outcome trajectory due to development alone. The NH participants are matched to AHL/SSD participants on age, gender and parent education. Post-implant performance with a CI alone is expected to outperform pre-implant performance with a HA. The study evaluates the effectiveness of bimodal hearing defined as a CI in the poor ear and a HA in the better ear for AHL or a CI in the poor ear and normal hearing in the better ear for SSD compared to pre-implant performance. The study examines factors contributing to CI outcomes.

Interventions

DEVICECochlear Implant

Cochlear implantation of a device from one of the three manufacturers available in the US.

Sponsors

Washington University School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER
St. Louis Children's Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Southern California
CollaboratorOTHER
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
CollaboratorOTHER
Hearts for Hearing
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Minnesota
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

The study is conducted as a multicenter, prospective, two-phase clinical trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of cochlear implantation in children with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) or single-sided deafness (SSD). A hearing aid (HA) phase occurs over a minimum of 4 mos prior to obtaining a cochlear implant (CI). A CI phase occurs over the 15-month period after initial activation of the CI.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 14 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* At least 4 ys of age and up to 14 yrs, 11 mos of age and able to complete all investigational procedures. * Parents and child fluent in English. Parents desire bilateral hearing for their child, are willing to comply with study requirements, including the pre-implant HA phase, and are able to provide informed consent. * Poor ear (AHL/SSD): PTA at .5, 1, 2 kHz \> 70 dB HL; Aided CNC word recognition score at 60 dB SPL \< 40%; SPHL duration ≥ 6 mos and ≤ 10 yrs at time of CI surgery; If \> 5 yrs of age, evidence of non-congenital SPHL onset (e.g., passed newborn hearing screening); If ≤ 5 yrs of age, no restrictions on SPHL onset. * Better ear * AHL: PTA at .5, 1, 2, 4 kHz \> 25 and ≤ 60 dB HL; Aided CNC word score at 60 dB SPL ≥ 55%; Currently using a HA; Stable hearing for the past 6-mo period. "Stable" is defined as thresholds that have not declined by more than 20 dB at three or more octave-interval audiometric frequencies. * SSD: PTA at .5, 1, 2, 4 kHz ≤ 25 dB HL; CNC word score at 60 dB SPL ≥ 70%; Stable hearing for the past 6-mo period. * Both ears of NH participants: PTA at .5, 1, 2, 4 kHz ≤ 25 dB HL. * To continue with cochlear implantation and into the CI phase of the study: Indication, via imaging, of a normal cochlear nerve and of cochlear anatomy in the ear to be implanted that allows full insertion of the electrode array. Imaging modality is at the discretion of the surgeon. In addition, better ear hearing must be stable throughout the HA phase.

Exclusion criteria

for AHL/SSD Participants: * Medical condition that contraindicates surgery; Actively using an implantable device in the ear to be implanted; Inability to complete study procedures; Unrealistic expectations related to the benefits and limitations of implantation; Unwillingness or inability to comply with all investigational requirements. * Exclusions for cochlear implantation and the CI phase of the study: Cochlear malformation or obstruction that would preclude full insertion of the electrode array in the ear to be implanted; Abnormal cochlear nerve in the ear to be implanted; Hearing loss of neural or central origin.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Poor ear alone word recognition in quiet from Pre-Implant to 12 months post-implantPre-Implant and 12 months post-implantPoor ear alone CNC monosyllabic word recognition in quiet with the CI alone compared to pre-implant with a HA.
Change in Bimodal speech understanding in noise from Pre-Implant to 15 months post-implantPre-implant and 15 months post-implantSpeech reception thresholds (SRTs) for understanding words in noise in the bimodal condition (CI + HA for AHL; CI + NH ear for SSD) post-implant compared to the pre-implant best aided condition.
Post-implant bimodal vs better ear alone speech understanding in noise15 months post-implantPost-implant speech reception thresholds (SRTs) for understanding words in noise in the bimodal condition (CI + HA for AHL; CI + NH ear for SSD) compared to the better ear alone condition.
Change in pre-implant trajectory of Bimodal speech understanding in noise over time to post-implant trajectory over time5 visits pre-implant over a minimum of 4 months and the 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 month post-implant visitsThe trajectory of speech reception thresholds (SRT) for understanding noise throughout the CI Phase (5 visits post-implant) in the bimodal condition is compared to the trajectory throughout the HA Phase (5 visits pre-implant) in the best aided condition.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Poor ear alone audibility from Pre-Implant to 12 months post-implantPre-implant and 12 months post-implantFM tone sound field threshold levels in the poor ear alone with a CI compared to pre-implant threshold levels with a HA
Change in Bimodal sound localization from Pre-Implant to 15 months post-implantPre-implant and 15 months post-implantRMS error scores for a sound localization task in the bimodal condition (CI + HA for AHL; CI + NH ear for SSD) post-implant compared to the pre-implant best aided condition.
Change in Bimodal soft speech understanding from Pre-Implant to 12 months post-implantPre-implant and 12 months post-implantCNC monosyllabic word recognition at a soft level in the bimodal condition (CI + HA for AHL; CI + NH ear for SSD) post-implant compared to the pre-implant best aided condition.
Change in PedsQL-MFS ratings from Pre-Implant to 15 months post-implantPre-implant and 15 months post-implantQuestionnaire completed by parents and participants (when age appropriate). Ratings post-implant are compared to pre-implant ratings.
Change in SSQ ratings from Pre-Implant to 15 months post-implantPre-implant and 15 months post-implantQuestionnaire completed by parents and participants (when age appropriate). Ratings post-implant are compared to pre-implant ratings.
Change in HEAR-QL ratings from Pre-Implant to 15 months post-implantPre-implant and 15 months post-implantQuestionnaire completed by parents and participants (when age appropriate). Ratings post-implant are compared to pre-implant ratings.
Post-implant bimodal vs better ear alone sound localization15 months post-implantPost-implant RMS error scores for the sound localization task are compared in the bimodal condition to the better ear alone condition.
Post-implant bimodal vs better ear alone soft speech understanding12 months post-implantPost-implant word recognition scores at soft levels are compared in the bimodal condition to the better ear alone condition.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJill B Firszt, PhD

Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 12, 2026