Although cochlear implants can restore hearing to individuals who have lost cochlear hair cell function, there is no adequately effective treatment for individuals suffering chronic imbalance, postural instability and unsteady vision due to loss of vestibular hair cell function. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve via a chronically implanted multichannel vestibular prosthesis can partially restore vestibular reflexes that maintain steady posture and vision. This pilot clinical feasibility study of a multichannel vestibular implant system will evaluate this approach in up to ten human subjects with bilateral vestibular deficiency due to gentamicin ototoxicity or other causes of inner ear dysfunction.
The system used in this study is the (MVI)™ Multichannel Vestibular Implant System produced by Labyrinth Devices, LLC. It is similar to commercially available cochlear implants in that it includes an implanted stimulator powered and controlled by an external unit, which communicate with the implant across the skin via an inductive link. Unlike a cochlear implant, the implanted stimulator's electrode array is designed for implantation near the ends of the vestibular nerve. The implanted stimulator also includes additional magnets to help facilitate retention of the external unit on the scalp over the implant. The external unit includes a head-worn unit (for sensing head motion and delivering power and signals to the implanted stimulator) and a power and control unit containing a battery and microprocessor. Participants in this trial who meet candidacy criteria and who choose to proceed with implantation surgery, device activation and device deactivation will be asked to participate in a series of post-operative monitoring visits over a ≥1 year period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
DEVICE_FEASIBILITY
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Identified adverse events to assess the safety and tolerability of the Labyrinth Devices Multichannel Vestibular Implant (MVI™)
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events as assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.3 (CTCAE v4.3)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0 through 10
Assess the feasibility of the MVI, as determined by changes in 3-dimensional vestibulo-ocular reflex (3D VOR) gain and alignment compared to pre-intervention values and published data from subjects with normal vestibular function
3D VOR gain (eye velocity / -head velocity)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the preliminary efficacy of the MVI, as determined by changes in 3-dimensional vestibulo-ocular reflex (3D VOR) gain and alignment compared to pre-intervention values and published data from subjects with normal vestibular function
3D VOR gain (eye velocity / -head velocity)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI implantation on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in pure tone audiometry
Pure tone audiometry (decibels \[dB\])
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI use on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in pure tone audiometry
Pure tone audiometry (decibels \[dB\])
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI implantation on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in Consonant-vowel nucleus-consonant (CNC) speech recognition scores
CNC speech recognition score (0-100% correct), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI use on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in Consonant-vowel nucleus-consonant (CNC) speech recognition scores
CNC speech recognition score (0-100% correct), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI implantation on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in Arizona Biomedical (AzBio) sentence recognition scores
AzBio sentence recognition score (0-100% correct), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Assess the effects of MVI use on cochlear function, as indicated by changes in Arizona Biomedical (AzBio) sentence recognition scores
AzBio sentence recognition score (0-100% correct), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year, that is: in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Change in Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) three-dimensional (3D) alignment to assess the preliminary efficacy of the MVI
Measured in degrees
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Change in Ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on utricular function
oVEMP peak-to-peak amplitude in microvolts
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Change in Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMP) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on saccular function
cVEMP peak-to-peak amplitude in microvolts
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Changes in utility scores on 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
SF-36 Utility (No scale)
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
THI score (0-100), higher scores means worse outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
DHI score (0-100), higher scores means worse outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on the Health Utilities Index 3 (HUI3) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
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HUI3 scores (0-1), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on the Vestibular Activities of Daily Living (VADL) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
VADL score (1-10), higher scores means worse outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on the Autophony Index (AI) to assess the effects of MVI implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
AI score (0-104), higher scores means worse outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Changes in scores on the bilateral vestibular deficiency BVD-case definition subset of questions to assess the effects of MVI™ implantation and use on activities of daily living and quality of life
BVD-case definition subset of questions from the National Health Interview Survey 2008 Balance Questions (NHIS) score (no scale)
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, 6, 8, and 10
Change in Dynamic visual acuity (DVA) to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the MVI
DVA test score in log10 of the Minimum Angle Resolvable (LogMAR) units, as the difference between raw DVA LogMAR and static visual acuity LogMAR
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0 and 3 through 10
Change in Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency- balance subtest 2 (BOT2) score
BOT2 score (0-36), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Change in Dynamic Gait Index (DGI)
DGI score (0-24), higher scores means better outcome
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10
Change in gait characteristics using the GaitRite™ system
Gait speed analysis in meters per second
Time frame: In a period of up to 24 weeks, in visits 0, and 3 through 10