Study Comparing Speech Understanding with Cochlear Implant Settings Using Tonotopy and Evolutionary Algorithms in Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating speech recognition in noise for adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who have been implanted for 6 months or more with a MED-EL cochlear implant using a tonotopic setting called FS4T. The study compares this setting with a modified version based on an evolutionary algorithm EAFS4T to assess differences in speech understanding and auditory perception. The study also examines speech recognition in quiet and subjective experiences of auditory spatial and musical perception. The intervention involves applying the EAFS4T fitting, which adjusts the frequency allocation for each cochlear implant electrode based on anatomical data from CT scans and an evolutionary algorithm. Participants first use the standard tonotopic fitting FS4T, then switch to the EAFS4T fitting at 6 months post-implant activation. They wear the EAFS4T setting for 6 weeks to allow comparison between the two fitting methods. During the study, participants undergo assessments of speech recognition in noise and quiet, as well as subjective evaluations of auditory spatial perception, auditory perception, and musical perception at the time of EAFS4T fitting and after 6 weeks of use. The primary outcome is speech recognition in noise after 6 weeks with the EAFS4T fitting. This prospective open monocentric cross-sectional study lasts for the duration of the fitting and assessment periods, with no masking or placebo use.

Comparison of Speech Understanding Between Tonotopy-based Fitting and Setting Based on Evolutionary Algorithms