Cochlear Implant Recipients: Comprehensive Longitudinal Evaluation (CIRCLE)

January 27, 2026 updated by: Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University

Comprehensive Follow-up and Evaluation for Cochlear Implant Patients for All Ages

This study aims to assess hearing and speech perception, as well as quality of life, in deaf patients of all ages before and after cochlear implantation, and to explore differences across age groups and treatment subtypes, thereby providing evidence for personalized hearing and speech rehabilitation.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of auditory and speech perception abilities, as well as overall quality of life, in patients with hearing loss across all age groups undergoing cochlear implantation. By comparing pre- and post-operative outcomes, the study will investigate how different age cohorts and subtype groups respond to cochlear implantation treatment. The findings are expected to provide critical evidence to guide the development of individualized auditory and speech rehabilitation strategies.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • China
      • Shanghai, China, 200031
        • Recruiting
        • Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

A single-center, observational cohort of patients across all age groups (children and adults) with severe-to-profound hearing loss who are candidates for and receive cochlear implantation.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with severe or greater hearing loss (≥65 dB) scheduled to receive cochlear implant (CI) treatment.
  • No restrictions on age or gender.
  • Native language is Mandarin Chinese.
  • The subject and/or their legal guardian must provide informed consent prior to the study, voluntarily sign a written informed consent form, and be willing to undergo follow-up assessments at the specified time points.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with the researcher with the help of a guardian and comply with the researcher's requirements. For young children without mature language skills, ability to cooperate with the help of a guardian.
  • The subject's guardian has a correct understanding of the trial and realistic expectations of potential benefits.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of other severe diseases unsuitable for cochlear implantation surgery.
  • Significant psychological problems or mood disorders (e.g., notable anxiety, depression, or behavioral disorders) that would preclude cooperation with training and follow-up.
  • Neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy, cerebral palsy) that may affect auditory processing ability.
  • Concurrent participation in other interventional studies involving drugs or behavioral interventions that may affect auditory rehabilitation during the study period.
  • Any other condition considered by the investigator to make the subject unsuitable for participation in this clinical study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Cochlear Implant Recipients
Procedure: Cochlear Implantation
cochlear implantation - a surgical procedure designed to provide auditory perception to individuals with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who receive limited to no benefits from conventional amplification.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evaluation of Auditory Function
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.
A comprehensive assessment of auditory sensitivity and daily listening abilities. Objective measures include electrophysiological tests (Auditory Brainstem Response, ABR; Auditory Steady-State Response, ASSR) for threshold estimation, particularly in non-communicative subjects. Behavioral audiometry and sound-field testing determine hearing thresholds in dB HL. Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) assess cochlear outer hair cell function. Subjective auditory performance is evaluated using standardized questionnaires: the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP, range 0-7, higher is better).The Parents' Evaluation of Aural/oral performance of Children (PEACH), consists of 12 core items, each rated on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4. Total scores are calculated to a percentage, ranging from 0% to 100%. A higher percent indicates better auditory and communication performance.
From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evaluation of Speech Function
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.
Assessment of speech perception and production abilities.Objective measure of speech perception ability. The outcome is the percentage of correct responses (%) on standardized speech recognition tests, such as monosyllabic word and sentence recognition tests, administered in quiet and in noise. The score ranges from 0% to 100%. A higher percentage indicates better speech perception.Speech production ability is evaluated using the Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR), an observer-rated scale from 1 (unintelligible) to 5 (spontaneous speech is fully intelligible).A higher rating indicates more intelligible speech.
From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.
Assessment of Psychosocial and Functional Outcomes
Time Frame: From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.
Multidimensional evaluation of the impact of cochlear implantation on cognitive status, spatial hearing, quality of life, and related symptoms. Tools include:the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE; average score, 1-5, higher=greater decline) for cognition; the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale-Short Form (SSQ-12; mean item score, 0-10, higher=better) for spatial hearing; the Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQoL; global score, higher=better QoL) instrument; the Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (total score, higher=greater fatigue); and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI; total score, 0-100, higher=greater handicap).
From enrollment until the end of the 5-year follow-up. Assessments are conducted preoperatively, at device activation, and post-activation at 4 weeks, 13 weeks, 26 weeks, 52 weeks, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 22, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 27, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025192

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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