Cochlear pathology. Hazards of long-term implants.
There is increasingly diverse evidence that multichannel intrascalar or modiolar implants can cause long-term changes in cochlear structure. Experimental studies show that nerve-cell loss and osteogenesis are related to electrical stimulation. Low charge densities may limit such intracochlear changes. Middle-ear stimulation presents an alternative to the intracochlear implant, although its degree of effectiveness is not well characterized. Monitoring electrically produced auditory brain-stem responses may help detect progressive pathologic changes occurring in the implanted cochlea.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009925:Organ of Corti / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors