Your Help is Needed on these Research Topics
University of York
Can you help with some vital research that will start at the University of York in Oct/Nov 2009?
The NICE Guidance issued in Jan 09 stopped short of recommending bilateral implants for adults. However, the Guidance recommended that further research should be carried out to establish the cost effectiveness of bilateral implants for adults and that this should be done in time for the next NICE Review which will start in Feb 2011.
Professor Quentin Summerfield, who has given us so much support during his research on cochlear implants, is now seeking volunteers with unilateral or bilateral implants to participate in evaluating new tests and apparatus in the pilot phase of this all important research project.
Volunteers would need to travel to York to take part but expenses will be refunded and, for those travelling from afar, the costs of accomodation will also be covered with a subsistence allowance.
If you are able to help, please apply using the contact form here or you can send an e-mail message to p.kitterick@psych.york.ac.uk, or you can get in touch by phone (Padraig Kitterick : 01904432883; Quentin Summerfield; 01904432913).
University College London
Researchers at UCL in London are seeking volunteers with cochlear implants to participate in studies of speech coding strategies. Their current major project is aimed at developing better strategies for combining a cochlear implant with aided acoustic hearing in the unimplanted ear and they are especially looking for volunteers with residual hearing who use a hearing aid in the unimplanted ear. Due to equipment limitations this particular research can only be carried out with users of Nucleus devices. All travel expenses will be paid. Please contact Dr Tim Green by e-mail at tim.green@ucl.ac.uk to find out more.
Aston University, Birmingham
Dr Robert Morse and Dr Stephen Holmes, based at Aston University in the centre of Birmingham, are seeking volunteers to take part in a cochlear implant study being run in conjunction with Advanced Bionics. The aim of the study is to use eCAPs (standard recordings of the response of the ear to sounds made through your implant) to improve the fitting of cochlear implants, particularly for young children and adults who cannot respond to sounds verbally. The study involves a couple of half-day sessions at Aston University in the first instance, with the possibility for further sessions for those who are keen. Dr Morse and Dr Holmes are looking for volunteers with the Clarion CII or HiRes 90K implant who live in or who have easy access to the Midland region. The settings on your cochlear implant will not be altered at any time in the course of these studies. Travel expenses of up to £30 will be paid together with a £25 payment for your time. If you are able to help please email s.d.holmes@aston.ac.uk and further information can be provided.
UCL Ear Institute
Research into factors affecting audio-perception with cochlear implants
Researchers at the UCL Ear Institute would like to invite adults who have received a cochlear implant in at least one ear to take part in a research study into factors affecting audio-perception with cochlear implants.
If you have been using the cochlear implant for at least six months and have good speech and oral language or have been deafened after childhood, we would like to hear from you.
Why is the study necessary?
There are a lot of factors that may affect audio-perception and speech comprehension with cochlear implants, some evidence points to the cochlear implant-electrode pitch perception ability as a possible factor. Switching off cochlear implant electrodes that do not provide a distinct pitch can be used to improve speech comprehension as demonstrated in previous research. However, the testing methods previously used were not clinically applicable hence we are using a clinically viable testing method and evaluating it’s use in improving speech comprehension with cochlear implants.
What is the aim of the study?
The study will test for electrode-pitch-perception and evaluate whether reprogramming the cochlear implant speech processor based on the test results improves speech comprehension with the cochlear implant. Results of the study can provide guidance on establishing a clinical test procedure of electrode-pitch-perception and may provide information on how to reprogram the cochlear implant speech processor accordingly to improve speech perception. This could be helpful in future clinical practice.
What does the study involve?
If you choose to take part, we will invite you to visit the UCL Ear Institute, which is near King’s Cross station in London. We shall ask you to visit us a number of times: between three and four visits over the course of up to 4 months. During the visits, we will ask you to take part in tests of speech comprehension and pitch perception. We reimburse you for travel/transportation cost for each visit.
How do I find out more information?
Please contact Shaza Saleh at the UCL Ear Institute by telephone (07825665115), email (shaza.saleh@ucl.ac.uk), or post (UCL Ear Institute, 332-336 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8EE).