Brain changes after cochlear implantation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Plasticity of the auditory brain in cochlear implanted adults
IRAS ID
157319
Contact name
Debi Vickers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2014/09/10, Data protection registration
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 5 days
Research summary
Aim
To understand how areas of the brain responsible for hearing change after cochlear implantation.
Background
In the UK more than 800,000 people suffer with severe-to-profound hearing impairment and around 11,000 have had cochlear implantation (CI).
After CI, the brain needs to learn how to understand the new signals that it provides to allow a patient to hear. This learning process is called neural plasticity. In adults, it is not know how long this learning process takes. This is of relevance, as after surgery, the CI programme is adjusted. This involves changes in the way electrical signals from the CI are delivered to the brain in order to optimise hearing. However, alterations to the CI programme could theoretically disrupt the learning process of the brain. An objective way of assessing the hearing pathway and how it changes after CI could help guide programming, and help predict how well a patient will hear after surgery.
We will study changes in brain activity after CI using electrophysiology, which involves non-invasive measurement of electrical activity in the brain taken from the scalp.
Methods
Adult English speaking patients will be recruited from at least two NHS cochlear implant centres. There will be two study groups. Group A will include patients who are awaiting CI surgery. This group will be tested before and after surgery for approximately 1 year. Group B will include patients with more than 1 year of CI experience. They will have their CI programme optimised and will be followed up for approximately 6 months.
Tests performed will include hearing tests and electrophysiological recording of activity in different parts of the brain – namely the brainstem and the cortex. We will analyse the learning process of the brain, the time period over which this occurs and how changes in brain activity are related to changes in hearing.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/2076
Date of REC Opinion
14 Nov 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion