Optimizing Bilateral and Single-sided-deafness Cochlear Implants for Functioning in Complex Auditory Environments

Cochlear implants (CIs) are devices that partially restore hearing for people with severe to profound hearing loss. This research focuses on CI users who use bilaterally implanted devices (two CIs, one on each side) and also "single-sided deafness" (SSD) CI users who use one CI together with good acoustic hearing in their opposite ear. The goal is to measure and understand the impact of large input asymmetries across the two ears. These asymmetries are common in BI-CI listeners and always present in SSD-CI users. Although most CI listeners benefit from a second source of auditory input, this project measures how these asymmetries limit speech understanding and spatial hearing. The long-term goal is countering or compensating for input asymmetries. Electrophysiological measures are used to describe the health of the auditory system. Behavioral measures are used to assess if training improves performance. CT imaging is utilized to describe the placement of the CIs.

NCT Number	NCT06305039
Lead Sponsor	University of Maryland, College Park Collaborators: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Vanderbilt University
Conditions	Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural, Cochlear Hearing Loss
Enrollment	300 participants
Start Date	2023-12-19
Primary Completion	2028-05-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-05-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-03-28