Clinical Utility of Residual Hearing in the Cochlear Implant Ear

NCT ID: NCT04707885

Last Updated: 2025-09-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-11-10

Study Completion Date

2027-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The current study is a randomized multi-center clinical trial that investigates the role an intraoperative hearing monitoring system (electrocochleography) has on helping to save residual hearing in patients undergoing cochlear implantation (CI).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The clinical importance of residual acoustic hearing in CI remains unclear. It is estimated that only five percent of adult candidates undergo CI. A major barrier is the loss of residual hearing associated with surgery, meaning most patients lose any or all residual hearing as a result of the CI surgery, especially since the majority of today's candidates do not suffer from complete deafness. Hence, many candidates are faced with the decision to relinquish their remaining acoustic hearing in exchange for electric hearing via the CI, as CI surgery often results in complete loss of any residual hearing. However, recent developments in hearing monitoring systems during CI surgery have shown promise for providing the surgeon with live feedback of how the cochlear implant insertion process is proceeding, allowing the surgeon to make intraoperative adjustments during the insertion, potentially minimizing any trauma caused by the insertion of the implant, ultimately helping preserve residual hearing. This ultimately could lead to improvements in the rates of hearing preservation. Therefore, the current study seeks to investigate: 1) the advantage of using a hearing monitoring system (electrocochleography) monitoring guided CI surgery on hearing preservation rates, 2) determine the benefit that hearing aid/cochlear implant combined hearing provides participants over non-hearing preservation CI (electric-only stimulation from the CI) on measures of speech perception and quality of life.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Bilateral

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

ECochG monitoring

For those randomized to the experimental group, the CI surgery will proceed in a standard fashion. However, the surgeon will utilize ECochG-guided monitoring by placing the external device coil and processor over the receiver/stimulator of the implanted components. Also, a sound applicator (i.e. speaker) will be placed in the external auditory canal by the surgeon. During electrode insertion the surgeon will utilize the ECochG feedback to adjust insertion if needed. That is, once the electrode has been inserted at least 75% (75% of the electrode contacts inside the cochlea), the surgeon may proceed to full insertion if indicated during ECochG feedback or may modify and/or cease electrode insertion if indicated by the ECochG feedback in attempts to preserve RH.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Electrocochleography

Intervention Type DEVICE

The use of ECochG monitoring will be employed. This will be conducted intraoperatively during the entire portion of the CI electrode insertion component.

For the purposes of this clinical trial, the stimulus will consist of a 500 Hz tone burst presented at \~105-110 dB SPL. This was chosen due to the time and resource limitations in the operating room. Hence, the surgical team can only utilize a very limited dataset for intraoperative decision making and previous studies have demonstrated that 500 Hz stimulation offers the most robust, reliable, and useful ECochG signal during electrode insertions.

Control Group

For those randomized to the control group, they will receive their CI per the standard of care. That is, all procedures that take place during a routine CI surgery will be the same for those in the control group. As such, no ECochG monitoring will be performed. However, all study surgeons will be asked to adhere to soft surgical principles (non-traumatic cochlear opening, slow electrode insertions) to enhance HP outcomes even in the absence of intraoperative ECochG monitoring. Further, the standard of care for cochlear implantation is to perform full electrode insertions with all electrode contacts inside of the cochlea. Thus, for subjects in the control group, surgeons will be asked to perform full electrode insertions.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Electrocochleography

The use of ECochG monitoring will be employed. This will be conducted intraoperatively during the entire portion of the CI electrode insertion component.

For the purposes of this clinical trial, the stimulus will consist of a 500 Hz tone burst presented at \~105-110 dB SPL. This was chosen due to the time and resource limitations in the operating room. Hence, the surgical team can only utilize a very limited dataset for intraoperative decision making and previous studies have demonstrated that 500 Hz stimulation offers the most robust, reliable, and useful ECochG signal during electrode insertions.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

ECochG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form.
2. Adults, males and females, ages 18 -79 who have a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with postlingual onset.
3. Minimum of 30 days experience with appropriately fit binaural amplification (standardized National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) fitting method) verified with real ear measurements within 5 dB SPL of targets.
4. Limited benefit from conventional amplification in the best aided condition as defined by test scores of:

1. The ear to implanted: Consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) words ≤ 60% or AzBio sentences (+10, +5 dB SNR ≤ 60% correct)
2. Contralateral ear: ≤ 80% on CNC words or AzBio sentences (+10, +5 dB SNR ≤ 80% correct)
5. Low frequency Pure Tone Average (PTA- 125, 250, 500 Hz) ≤ 55 dB HL in the ear to be implanted.
6. Severe to profound mid to high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (threshold average of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz ≥75 dB HL) in the ear to be implanted.
7. Low frequency PTA ≤ 55 dB HL sloping to moderately severe to profound mid-to high frequency sensorineural hearing loss (threshold average of 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 Hz ≥ 60 dB) in the contralateral ear.
8. Proficient in English.
9. Undergoing implantation with a current generation CI device from either Cochlear Limited or Advanced Bionics AG.

1. Cochlear Limited devices include: Nucleus CI612, CI622, CI632, CI624
2. Advanced Bionics AG devices include: HiFocus SlimJ, Mid-Scala
10. Stated willingness and ability to complete testing and all associated study visits.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Previous cochlear implantation.
2. Prelingual onset of hearing loss.
3. Abnormal inner ear anatomy on CT imaging.
4. Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder.
5. Retrocochlear pathology such as a vestibular schwannoma or stroke.
6. Unwillingness or inability to comply with all investigational requirements including the randomization process.
7. Additional medical, or social barriers that would prevent completion of all study requirements.
8. Medical condition contraindicated for surgery.
9. Device selection of Med El CI (per the patient's selection).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

79 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ohio State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Oliver Adunka

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Oliver Adunka, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Ohio State University

Amanda Ortmann, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Washington University School of Medicine

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Washington University in St. Louis

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Ohio State University Eye and Ear Institute

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Beth Miles-Markley

Role: CONTACT

614-366-9244

Meghan Hiss, AuD

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Dan Osland

Role: primary

507-266-1470

Sarah Kukuljan

Role: primary

Kevin Brown, MD

Role: primary

Leah Kofmehl

Role: primary

Sarah Mleziva

Role: primary

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Eggermont JJ. Ups and Downs in 75 Years of Electrocochleography. Front Syst Neurosci. 2017 Jan 24;11:2. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00002. eCollection 2017.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28174524 (View on PubMed)

Gantz BJ, Dunn C, Oleson J, Hansen M, Parkinson A, Turner C. Multicenter clinical trial of the Nucleus Hybrid S8 cochlear implant: Final outcomes. Laryngoscope. 2016 Apr;126(4):962-73. doi: 10.1002/lary.25572. Epub 2016 Jan 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26756395 (View on PubMed)

Gantz BJ, Hansen MR, Turner CW, Oleson JJ, Reiss LA, Parkinson AJ. Hybrid 10 clinical trial: preliminary results. Audiol Neurootol. 2009;14 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):32-8. doi: 10.1159/000206493. Epub 2009 Apr 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19390173 (View on PubMed)

Gautschi-Mills K, Khoza-Shangase K, Pillay D. Preservation of residual hearing after cochlear implant surgery: an exploration of residual hearing function in a group of recipients at cochlear implant units. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2019 May-Jun;85(3):310-318. doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2018.02.006. Epub 2018 Mar 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29631897 (View on PubMed)

Gifford RH, Dorman MF, Shallop JK, Sydlowski SA. Evidence for the expansion of adult cochlear implant candidacy. Ear Hear. 2010 Apr;31(2):186-94. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e3181c6b831.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20071994 (View on PubMed)

Gstoettner WK, Baumgartner WD, Franz P, Hamzavi J. Cochlear implant deep-insertion surgery. Laryngoscope. 1997 Apr;107(4):544-6. doi: 10.1097/00005537-199704000-00022. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9111389 (View on PubMed)

Gstoettner W, Helbig S, Settevendemie C, Baumann U, Wagenblast J, Arnoldner C. A new electrode for residual hearing preservation in cochlear implantation: first clinical results. Acta Otolaryngol. 2009 Apr;129(4):372-9. doi: 10.1080/00016480802552568.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19140036 (View on PubMed)

Campbell L, Kaicer A, Sly D, Iseli C, Wei B, Briggs R, O'Leary S. Intraoperative Real-time Cochlear Response Telemetry Predicts Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implantation. Otol Neurotol. 2016 Apr;37(4):332-8. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000000972.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26859542 (View on PubMed)

Herz A, Niedner I, Fraling F, Sommer-Smith J. [Cortical and subcortical reaction potentials after sensory stimulation in wakefull and sleeping cat]. Exp Brain Res. 1966;1(3):249-64. doi: 10.1007/BF00234345. No abstract available. German.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 5920552 (View on PubMed)

Hodges AV, Schloffman J, Balkany T. Conservation of residual hearing with cochlear implantation. Am J Otol. 1997 Mar;18(2):179-83.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9093674 (View on PubMed)

Koka K, Saoji AA, Litvak LM. Electrocochleography in Cochlear Implant Recipients With Residual Hearing: Comparison With Audiometric Thresholds. Ear Hear. 2017 May/Jun;38(3):e161-e167. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000385.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27879487 (View on PubMed)

Lan KK, DeMets DL. Changing frequency of interim analysis in sequential monitoring. Biometrics. 1989 Sep;45(3):1017-20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2790114 (View on PubMed)

Pillsbury HC 3rd, Dillon MT, Buchman CA, Staecker H, Prentiss SM, Ruckenstein MJ, Bigelow DC, Telischi FF, Martinez DM, Runge CL, Friedland DR, Blevins NH, Larky JB, Alexiades G, Kaylie DM, Roland PS, Miyamoto RT, Backous DD, Warren FM, El-Kashlan HK, Slager HK, Reyes C, Racey AI, Adunka OF. Multicenter US Clinical Trial With an Electric-Acoustic Stimulation (EAS) System in Adults: Final Outcomes. Otol Neurotol. 2018 Mar;39(3):299-305. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000001691.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29342054 (View on PubMed)

Saoji AA, Patel NS, Carlson ML, Neff BA, Koka K, Tarigoppula VSA, Driscoll CLW. Multi-frequency Electrocochleography Measurements can be Used to Monitor and Optimize Electrode Placement During Cochlear Implant Surgery. Otol Neurotol. 2019 Dec;40(10):1287-1291. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000002406.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31644474 (View on PubMed)

Scheperle RA, Tejani VD, Omtvedt JK, Brown CJ, Abbas PJ, Hansen MR, Gantz BJ, Oleson JJ, Ozanne MV. Delayed changes in auditory status in cochlear implant users with preserved acoustic hearing. Hear Res. 2017 Jul;350:45-57. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.04.005. Epub 2017 Apr 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28432874 (View on PubMed)

Skinner MW, Holden TA, Whiting BR, Voie AH, Brunsden B, Neely JG, Saxon EA, Hullar TE, Finley CC. In vivo estimates of the position of advanced bionics electrode arrays in the human cochlea. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl. 2007 Apr;197:2-24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17542465 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

U01DC018920-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2020H0477

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Effects of Pulses on Loudness
NCT04010721 COMPLETED NA