Present status and future directions of the Ear Research Institute cochlear implant program.
Thirty-three adult subjects have been implanted with single-electrode cochlear implants at the Ear Research Institute. This paper outlines the current status of the subjects; the rehabilitation and testing program; results found with the implant; and future directions of the implant program. Results indicate that implant subjects can score significantly above chance on a variety of discrimination tests. Implant subjects also score significantly better than hearing aid subjects on these tests. Research is continuing on engineering and signal-processing improvements for the single-elecrode implant. Multiple-electrode implants and binaural implants are being considered for future research at the Ear Research Institute.
D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D003051:Cochlea / Q000601:surgery*; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000601:surgery