Performance PredictionNCT07564388
Cochlear-Implant-Performance-Prediction
A study testing cochlear implant user performance prediction in people with Performance Prediction, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Despite improved technology, many cochlear implant (CI) recipients still struggle to understand speech in noise (SIN). Because the bottom-up acoustic signal generated by the implant is distorted relative to normal-hearing acoustic input, CI users rely more on top-down processing to decipher masked speech. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages Up to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Performance Prediction
- What is being tested?
- cochlear implant user performance prediction
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Jun 2025to 31 Dec 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 Up to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- All participants who do not fit the exclusion criteria.
Who cannot join
- Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenage children),
- Adults unable to consent,
- Adults with known impaired decision-making capacity,
- Pregnant women,
- Prisoners (or other detained/paroled individuals),
- Students or postdoctoral trainees who are taught by or academically mentored by the Principal Investigator, in compliance with the Enrollment of Students and Trainees in Research Studies policies.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Non-fluent English speakers, Tests (specifically Scrambled Letters and QuickSIN) require proficiency in the English language.
- Individuals with severe hearing impairment, Tests (specifically QuickSIN) require participants to not have trouble hearing speech.
- Individuals with significant, uncorrected visual impairment. All visual tests require the participant to be able to read medium-sized text on a screen approximately two feet in front of them.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Despite improved technology, many cochlear implant (CI) recipients still struggle to understand speech in noise (SIN). Because the bottom-up acoustic signal generated by the implant is distorted relative to normal-hearing acoustic input, CI users rely more on top-down processing to decipher masked speech. To better predict outcomes for CI recipients, top-down auditory processing ability should be assessed. However, hearing impairment makes testing top-down auditory processing ability through auditory means difficult. The study aims to determine whether testing visual top-down processing can predict auditory top-down processing capability.
Read the detailed description
Participants will complete a proctored, 25-minute computer-based test battery of visual cognitive tests (Stroop Test, Trail-Making Tests), visual distorted-signal tests (Scrambled Letters, VisualSNR), and auditory threshold tests (QuickSIN, Hearing Test). To prevent the accumulation of mental fatigue, tests will be administered in a predetermined order designed to minimize it. Including time for explanations for each test and questions from the participant about the testing protocol, the total time the participant will spend on the study is approximately 45 minutes.
- Conditions
- Performance Prediction
- Being tested
- cochlear implant user performance prediction
- Keywords
- Cochlear implants, user performance prediction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
cochlear implant user performance predictionDiagnostic test
A battery of visual cognitive tests will be combined to identify a set of tests that can predict user performance in speech-in-noise and music perception.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| performance assessment | Experimental | Not described Receives: Diagnostic Test: cochlear implant user performance prediction |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
SNR-loss (dB)
The Quick Sound-in-Noise (QuickSIN) test is a common method for assessing speech-in-noise perception. In this test, participants listen to sentences spoken by a female speaker in increasingly loud four-talker babble. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss for two QuickSIN tests will be averaged and recorded.
Measured: baseline
Audiogram
Behavioral hearing threshold
Measured: baseline
Stroop times
The Stroop Test assesses inhibition-concentration. This test consists of two sets of subtests. Each subtest requires reading 25 words from a table of colored words: the first subtest requires the participant to read the word, and the second requires the participant to name the color of the word. In the first set of subtests, the words will be colored corresponding to the meaning of the color word (i.e. 'Red' will be colored red). In the second set of subtests, the words will be colored in a different color than the meaning of the word (i.e.' Red' will be colored purple). The completion time of each subtest will be recorded.
Measured: baseline
Trail times
The Trail-Making Test (TMT) assesses attention and processing speed. This test consists of subtests A and B. In part A, the participant must connect dots numbered 1-25 in numerical order. In part B, the participant must connect dots numbered 1-13 and dots labeled A-L in alternating order (i.e. 1-A-2-B). If the participant makes a mistake, they must correct the mistake before moving on. The completion time of each subtest will be recorded.
Measured: baseline
Percent identified
The Scrambled Letters and VisualSNR tests were developed to assess the participant's ability to decipher garbled or distorted visual stimuli.
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 May 2026
- Study start25 Jun 2025
- Primary completion1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Performance PredictionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Claus-Peter Richter, MD, PhD, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07564388
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU00223538
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 29 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cochlear-Implant-Performance-Prediction
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07564388
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STU00223538
- Conditions
- Performance Prediction
- Keywords
- Cochlear implants, user performance prediction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 May 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.
Despite improved technology, many cochlear implant (CI) recipients still struggle to understand speech in noise (SIN). Because the bottom-up acoustic signal generated by the implant is distorted relative to normal-hearing acoustic input, CI users rely more on top-down processing to decipher masked speech. To better predict outcomes for CI recipients, top-down auditory processing ability should be assessed. However, hearing impairment makes testing top-down auditory processing ability through auditory means difficult. The study aims to determine whether testing visual top-down processing can predict auditory top-down processing capability.
Detailed description
Participants will complete a proctored, 25-minute computer-based test battery of visual cognitive tests (Stroop Test, Trail-Making Tests), visual distorted-signal tests (Scrambled Letters, VisualSNR), and auditory threshold tests (QuickSIN, Hearing Test). To prevent the accumulation of mental fatigue, tests will be administered in a predetermined order designed to minimize it. Including time for explanations for each test and questions from the participant about the testing protocol, the total time the participant will spend on the study is approximately 45 minutes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| performance assessment | Experimental | Diagnostic Test: cochlear implant user performance prediction |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- Up to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All participants who do not fit the exclusion criteria.
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenage children),
- Adults unable to consent,
- Adults with known impaired decision-making capacity,
- Pregnant women,
- Prisoners (or other detained/paroled individuals),
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 |
|---|---|---|
| cochlear implant user performance predictionA battery of visual cognitive tests will be combined to identify a set of tests that can predict user performance in speech-in-noise and music perception. | Diagnostic test | performance assessment |
Primary outcome
SNR-loss (dB)
Time frame: baseline
The Quick Sound-in-Noise (QuickSIN) test is a common method for assessing speech-in-noise perception. In this test, participants listen to sentences spoken by a female speaker in increasingly loud four-talker babble. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss for two QuickSIN tests will be averaged and recorded.
Audiogram
Time frame: baseline
Behavioral hearing threshold
Stroop times
Time frame: baseline
The Stroop Test assesses inhibition-concentration. This test consists of two sets of subtests. Each subtest requires reading 25 words from a table of colored words: the first subtest requires the participant to read the word, and the second requires the participant to name the color of the word. In the first set of subtests, the words will be colored corresponding to the meaning of the color word (i.e. 'Red' will be colored red). In the second set of subtests, the words will be colored in a different color than the meaning of the word (i.e.' Red' will be colored purple). The completion time of each subtest will be recorded.
Trail times
Time frame: baseline
The Trail-Making Test (TMT) assesses attention and processing speed. This test consists of subtests A and B. In part A, the participant must connect dots numbered 1-25 in numerical order. In part B, the participant must connect dots numbered 1-13 and dots labeled A-L in alternating order (i.e. 1-A-2-B). If the participant makes a mistake, they must correct the mistake before moving on. The completion time of each subtest will be recorded.
Percent identified
Time frame: baseline
The Scrambled Letters and VisualSNR tests were developed to assess the participant's ability to decipher garbled or distorted visual stimuli.
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 29 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Performance Prediction
Not yet recruiting
Predicting Declines in Attention and Memory During a Prolonged Mental Task
Mental Fatigue, Cognitive Performance
Not yet recruitingObservational study
Renal Angina Index for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury in Adult ICU Patients
Acute Kidney Injury
RecruitingObservational study
Longevity Metrics AI/ML Development Study
Aging, Mortality
RecruitingObservational study
100-Year Human Aging Study
Aging, Aging Well
RecruitingObservational study
Triage Performance and Physiological Predictors of Serious Illness in Febrile Children in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Fever, Triage
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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing cochlear implant user performance prediction in people with Performance Prediction, run by Northwestern University 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 9 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 May 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?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
SNR-loss (dB) (time frame: baseline). The study lists 5 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 29 May 2026.