Cochlear Implant UsersNCT07323862
Assessment of a Method to Improve Cochlear Implant Users' Speech Perception in Noisy Environments While Maintaining Their Ability to Determine Where a Sound Originates From
A study testing Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processor in people with Cochlear Implant Users, run by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if a new algorithm can improve speech perception for cochlear implant users. The main questions it aims to answer [is/are]: Does the algorithm improve speech perception in noisy environments? Does the algorithm allow listeners to determine where a sound is coming from?… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cochlear Implant Users
- What is being tested?
- Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processor
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 25 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 27 Apr 2026to 31 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants must have bilateral cochlear implants from Cochlear or Advanced Bionics
Who cannot join
- Non-native English speakers
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Speech and Hearing Science Building
Champaign, Illinois, 61820
Justin Aronoff, PhD, 217 244-2154, jaronoff@illinois.edu
About this study
Official title: Spatially Transparent Binaural Beamforming for Noise Reduction for Cochlear Implant Processors
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if a new algorithm can improve speech perception for cochlear implant users. The main questions it aims to answer [is/are]:
- Does the algorithm improve speech perception in noisy environments?
- Does the algorithm allow listeners to determine where a sound is coming from?
Participants will
- Listen to and repeat sentences presented in the presence of noise
- Indicate the location that sounds originated from
- Conditions
- Cochlear Implant Users
- Being tested
- Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processor
- Keywords
- Beamforming, Speech perception in noise, Localization
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processorDevice
Sound will be preprocessed with different beamformer algorithms and presented either through the auxiliary input port or via a streaming device to the participants' cochlear implant processor
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Speech perception and localization with different beamformers | Experimental | Participants will listen to stimuli processed by different beamformer algorithms and repeat speech presented in noise and identify the location that sound originated from. Receives: Device: Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processor |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percent correct scores on speech perception in noise.
The speech perception in noise test consists of lists of sentences in the presence of multi-talker babble or diffuse noise. The target location will vary across conditions. Participants will need to repeat back as much of the target sentence as they can.
Measured: Enrollment to 9 months
Root mean square error for sound source localization
The localization test will involve a target speaker in the presence of multi-speaker babble or diffuse noise. The virtual location of the sound sources will be manipulated and participants will need to indicate the location of the target speaker.
Measured: Enrollment to 9 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Jan 2026
- Study start27 Apr 2026
- Primary completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cochlear Implant UsersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Vortant Technologies, LLC
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07323862
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB25-0736
- Other IDs
- 1R43DC023172-01
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The de-identified behavioral IPD from all experiments will be shared with the exception of pilot data.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Spatially Transparent Binaural Beamforming for Noise Reduction for Cochlear Implant Processors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07323862
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB25-0736
- Conditions
- Cochlear Implant Users
- Keywords
- Beamforming, Speech perception in noise, Localization
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 25 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Vortant Technologies, LLC
- Study start
- 27 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 7 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if a new algorithm can improve speech perception for cochlear implant users. The main questions it aims to answer [is/are]:
- Does the algorithm improve speech perception in noisy environments?
- Does the algorithm allow listeners to determine where a sound is coming from?
Participants will
- Listen to and repeat sentences presented in the presence of noise
- Indicate the location that sounds originated from
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Speech perception and localization with different beamformers | Experimental | Device: Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processorParticipants will listen to stimuli processed by different beamformer algorithms and repeat speech presented in noise and identify the location that sound originated from. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants must have bilateral cochlear implants from Cochlear or Advanced Bionics
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Non-native English speakers
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processorSound will be preprocessed with different beamformer algorithms and presented either through the auxiliary input port or via a streaming device to the participants' cochlear implant processor | Device | Speech perception and localization with different beamformers |
Primary outcome
Percent correct scores on speech perception in noise.
Time frame: Enrollment to 9 months
The speech perception in noise test consists of lists of sentences in the presence of multi-talker babble or diffuse noise. The target location will vary across conditions. Participants will need to repeat back as much of the target sentence as they can.
Root mean square error for sound source localization
Time frame: Enrollment to 9 months
The localization test will involve a target speaker in the presence of multi-speaker babble or diffuse noise. The virtual location of the sound sources will be manipulated and participants will need to indicate the location of the target speaker.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The de-identified behavioral IPD from all experiments will be shared with the exception of pilot data.
Related trials for Cochlear Implant Users
Recruiting
Cochlear Implants and Listening Effort: the Interaction of Cognitive and Sensory Constraints
Cochlear Implant Users
Recruiting
Investigating Auditory Processing in the Users of Auditory Brainstem and Cochlear Implants
Deafness
Not yet recruiting
Patient-Oriented Research to Optimize Cochlear Implant Outcomes
Cochlear Implant, Cochlear Implant Users
Recruiting
Investigating the Acceptance and Performance of Low Energy Audio Streaming in Nucleus 8 and Kanso 3 Sound Processors by Experienced Cochlear Implant Users
Cochlear Implant Users
Recruiting
Listening Effort in Cochlear Implant Users
Auditory Perception; Abnormal, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Modifying audio input for cochlear implant processor in people with Cochlear Implant Users, run by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Justin Aronoff, PhD (217 244-2154, jaronoff@illinois.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percent correct scores on speech perception in noise. (time frame: Enrollment to 9 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Sep 2026.