Comparison in New Cochlear Implanted Subjects of a Tonotopy-based Bimodal Fitting With or Without Synchronization

NCT ID: NCT05898659

Last Updated: 2026-01-14

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

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-10-17

Study Completion Date

2026-12-15

Brief Summary

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

Main objective:

For a bimodal fitting (hearing aid (HA) + cochlear implant (CI)): Comparison of a tonotopy based fitting strategy with synchronization between HA and CI (ABFS) to a tonotopy based fitting strategy without synchronization (ABFnoS) for the accuracy of sound localization.

Secondary objectives:

Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for the bias of sound localization. Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for speech perception in noise. Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for the auditory skills experienced by the subject.

Detailed Description

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

Introduction: Cochlear implantation allows the rehabilitation of profound bilateral deafness, restoring speech perception and verbal communication when the traditional hearing aid no longer provides satisfactory hearing gain.

A cochlear implant includes an electrode array and its functioning is based on the principle of cochlear tonotopy: Each electrode encodes a frequency spectrum according to its position in the cochlea (high frequencies are assigned to the basal electrodes and low frequencies to the apical electrodes). The cochlear implant thus breaks down the frequency spectrum into a number of frequency bands via bandpass filters corresponding to the number of electrodes in the implant. During the fitting these bands can be modified by the audiologist.

MED-EL has developed a fitting strategy (ABF) that allows, from a post-operative scanner, to calculate the theoretical characteristic frequency of neurons stimulated by each electrode contact and to transmit this information to the fitting software of the CI.

Bimodal hearing refers to the use of a CI in one ear with a HA on the contralateral side.

This association allows for adults and children a better perception of speech in quiet and in noise, a better perception of music, hearing comfort, better sound quality, better localization of sound and, consequently, a better quality of life compared to unilateral CI alone. However, there is great variability in the integration process; while some bimodal users show substantial benefits, others receive little or no benefit.

This variability could be due to different processing times between CI and contralateral HA.

Recently, MED-EL (Austria) has developed a new approach to synchronize the treatment time of the CI with that of the contralateral HA via the fitting software. This new approach takes into account the different treatment times between CI and contralateral HA and allows synchronization between the 2 systems (CI and HA).

This strategy (ABFS) could therefore allow a better integration of information in bimodal hearing and in particular improve the sound localization compare to a strategy without synchronization (ABFnoS).

Main objective:

For a bimodal fitting (hearing aid (HA) + cochlear implant (CI)): Comparison of a tonotopy based fitting strategy with synchronization between HA and CI (ABFS) to a tonotopy based fitting strategy without synchronization (ABFnoS) for the accuracy of sound localization.

Secondary objectives:

Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for the bias of sound localization. Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for speech perception in noise. Comparison of ABFS to ABFnoS for the auditory skills experienced by the subject.

Plan of the study:

It is a prospective open monocentric randomized crossover study: Measures will be done on the patient at 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-activation.

Conditions

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

Sensorineural 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

CROSSOVER

Two arms A and B:

Arm A: Bimodal patient's fitting with tonotopy-based fitting without synchronization (ABFnoS) --\> 6 weeks use --\> tests and bimodal patient's fitting with tonotopy-based fitting with synchronization (ABFS) --\> 6 weeks use --\> tests; Arm B: Bimodal patient's fitting with ABFS --\> 6 weeks use --\> tests and bimodal patient's fitting with ABFnoS --\> 6 weeks use --\> tests
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators
Double blind study: The patient and the investigator don't know the fitting.

Study Groups

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

ABFnoS then ABFS

Cochlear Implant with ABFnoS first during 6 weeks then with ABFS during 6 weeks

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

ABFnoS then ABFS (Cochlear implant)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Cochlear implant with tonotopy-based fitting without synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid then with synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid

ABFS then ABFnoS

Cochlear Implant with ABFS first during 6 weeks then with ABFnoS during 6 weeks

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

ABFS then ABFnoS (Cochlear implant)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Cochlear implant with tonotopy-based fitting with synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid then without synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid

Interventions

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

ABFnoS then ABFS (Cochlear implant)

Cochlear implant with tonotopy-based fitting without synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid then with synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid

Intervention Type DEVICE

ABFS then ABFnoS (Cochlear implant)

Cochlear implant with tonotopy-based fitting with synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid then without synchronization with the contralateral hearing-aid

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

* Adult patient (\>= 18 years old) speaking French
* Patient who fulfils the criteria for cochlear implantation
* Total hearing loss for less than 5 years

Exclusion Criteria

* retro-cochlear pathology: auditory neuropathy, vestibular schwannoma
* patient with residual hearing \< 70 dB hearing level (HL) at 250 Hz and 500 Hz and \< 80 dB HL at 1000 Hz on the contralateral ear
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geräte GesmbH

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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

Nicolas Guevara, Pr

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Nice University Hospital

Locations

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

CHU Nice

Nice, , France

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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

France

Central Contacts

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

Vincent Péan, PhD

Role: CONTACT

0603592974 ext. +33

Facility Contacts

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

Nicolas Guevara, Pr

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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

MED_EL_REG_BIMOD_Nice_study

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

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