Personalized Anatomy-Based Programming for Adults with Severe to Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss Using MED-EL Cochlear Implants

What this Trial Is About

Severe to profound hearing loss affects a small portion of the global population, and many people with this condition do not get sufficient benefit from conventional hearing aids. This trial evaluates a cochlear implant CI fitting strategy that uses a post-operative CT scan to customize the frequency-band distribution for each recipient. This approach aims to better match the natural frequency layout of a normal hearing cochlea compared to the usual default fitting. Participants will be divided into two groups one receiving the standard CI speech processor programming and the other receiving anatomy-based CI fitting programming. The anatomy-based fitting uses imaging to tailor the implant settings to the persons cochlear anatomy. Both groups will use specific types of MED-EL cochlear implants and audio processors, and the implant activation will be monitored over time. Participants will undergo assessments at multiple time points up to 24 months after activation. These include speech recognition tests in quiet and noise, pitch matching, timbre perception, consonance and dissonance ratings, speech contrast discrimination, and patient-reported hearing quality. Usage of the implant will be tracked through datalogging. The study involves random assignment to groups, and the main outcomes focus on speech recognition performance at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-activation.

Anatomy-Based Fitting in Unexperienced Cochlear Implant Users