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Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) can improve hearing in children who are deaf and cannot receive a cochlear implants.


Clinical Trial Description

The goal of this MEEI Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) research study is to find new ways to improve hearing in children who are deaf and cannot receive a cochlear implant. The ABI is a surgically placed bionic implant that converts sounds into electrical signals that are directly transmitted to the cochlear nucleus, the first auditory center of the brain. For many years, ABIs have improved the hearing of patients who are deaf due to brain tumors associated with a genetic syndrome called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). However, a number of recent studies suggest that deaf patients who do not have NF2 and are not eligible for a cochlear implant may also benefit from placement of an ABI. These preliminary studies suggest that these non-NF2 or "nontumor" patients may actually have better outcomes after ABI surgery than patients suffering from NF2. Children appear to be particularly good candidates because of their developmental plasticity and in many studies, outcomes are more favorable in children that adults. Patients who do not have NF2 and are deaf due to abnormalities in their hearing nerves or inner ears from congenital malformations, infection, disease, or injury are not cochlear implant candidates and there are no other options to improve hearing in these cases except for the ABI. Thus, the purpose of our study is to carefully analyze whether ABI surgery improves the hearing and quality of life of non-NF2 children based on subjective and objective measures of their hearing before and after ABI surgery. In particular, we plan to study ABI outcomes in non-NF2 pediatric patients, characterize the parameters used on their devices, and determine the safety profile of ABIs in these patients. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT01864291
Study type Interventional
Source Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Contact
Status Terminated
Phase N/A
Start date May 2013
Completion date April 25, 2019

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Terminated NCT01736267 - Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) in Adult Non-Neurofibromatosis Type 2 Subjects N/A