Electro-acoustic stimulation: now and into the future
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Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Abstract
Cochlear implants have provided hearing to hundreds of thousands of profoundly deaf people around the world. Recently, the eligibility criteria for cochlear implantation have been relaxed to include individuals who have some useful residual hearing. These recipients receive inputs from both electric and acoustic stimulation (EAS). Implant recipients who can combine these hearing modalities demonstrate pronounced benefit in speech perception, listening in background noise and music
appreciation over implant recipients that rely on electrical stimulation alone. The mechanisms bestowing this benefit are unknown, but it is likely that interaction of the electric and acoustic signals in the auditory pathway play a role. Protection of residual hearing both during and following
cochlear implantation is critical for EAS. A number of surgical refinements have been implemented to protect residual hearing, and the development of hearing-protective drug and gene therapies is promising for EAS recipients. This review outlines the current field of EAS, with a focus on interactions that are observed between these modalities in animal models. It also outlines current
trends in EAS surgery and gives an overview of the drug and gene therapies that are clinically translatable and may one day provide protection of residual hearing for cochlear implant recipients.
Description
Keywords
Electro-Acoustic Hearing, Cochlear Implant, Profound Deafness, Residual Hearing
Citation
Irving, S., Gillespie, L., Richardson, R., Rowe, D., Fallon, J. B. & Wise, A. K. (2014). Electro-acoustic stimulation: now and into the future. Biomedical Research International.