RecruitingNot Applicable

Cochlear Implants and Listening Effort: the Interaction of Cognitive and Sensory Constraints

United States460 participantsStarted 2025-01-02

Plain-language summary

This study examines how cochlear implant users understand and comprehend speech in realistic communication situations. Through six experiments measuring listening effort via pupillometry and discourse comprehension, we will investigate how linguistic context, cognitive demands, and processing time affect speech understanding in CI users, and in normal-hearing controls) to identify factors underlying communication resilience versus vulnerability and develop improved, ecologically valid assessment and rehabilitation strategies.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 80 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

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.

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Percent correct Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) words across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Percent correct AzBio sentences across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Error rates for word identification tasks across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Percentage of propositions recalled from narrative passages

Timeframe: End of experiment 4 (up to 3 hours)

Ratio of main idea recall to detail recall

Timeframe: End of experiment 4 (up to 3 hours)

Percentage of true/false statements identified

Timeframe: End of experiment 6 (up to 3 hours)

Percent correct increase from unstructured word lists to anomalous sentences (syntactic gain)

Timeframe: End of experiment 1 (up to 3 hours)

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07279441

SponsorNYU Langone Health

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2030-01-02

Contact for this trial

Mario A. Svirsky, PhD

212-263-7217 Mario.svirsky@nyulangone.org

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Cochlear Implant Users trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 80 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

What they're measuring

Percent correct Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) words across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Percent correct AzBio sentences across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Error rates for word identification tasks across experiments 1-3

Timeframe: End experiments 1-3 (up to 9 hours)

Percentage of propositions recalled from narrative passages

Timeframe: End of experiment 4 (up to 3 hours)

Ratio of main idea recall to detail recall

Timeframe: End of experiment 4 (up to 3 hours)

Percentage of true/false statements identified

Timeframe: End of experiment 6 (up to 3 hours)

Percent correct increase from unstructured word lists to anomalous sentences (syntactic gain)

Timeframe: End of experiment 1 (up to 3 hours)