Predicting and Improving Language Outcomes in Young Children With Cochlear Implants Using Brain Imaging and Parent Training

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss who receive cochlear implants to understand and predict their language development over time. The study aims to develop advanced brain imaging models that forecast long-term language outcomes in both English- and Spanish-speaking children. It also evaluates whether children predicted to have lower language skills benefit from an intensive parent education program called Parent Implemented Communication Treatment PICT. Participants in the study are grouped into two arms. The first arm involves up to 700 children followed for up to four years after implantation, collecting medical, audiological, and MRI data without treatment intervention. The second arm, which has been terminated, was designed to evaluate the PICT program where parents learn communication strategies through online or in-person sessions over about six months. Assessments occur at multiple intervals after implantation, including routine audiology visits and optional research scans. Throughout the study, parents complete surveys about their childs language exposure, communication ability, and cognition at regular intervals. Children also undergo annual in-person speech and language evaluations lasting under two hours. The research team measures language skills using tools like the Preschool Language Scales and vocabulary tests at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months post-implant activation. Additional assessments of executive function and speech abilities are also conducted to monitor progress over time.

Neural Prediction to Enhance Language