Cochlear Implant
An inner EAR prosthesis to provide a degree of hearing ability for those who have profound HEARING LOSS—greater than a 90 decibel (dB) loss of hearing—in both ears and receive no benefit from hearing aids. This tiny electronic device receives incoming sound waves and translates them into frequency impulses that stimulate undamaged auditory nerve fibers that remain within the COCHLEA. The NERVE fibers convey the impulses to the BRAIN via the cochlear nerve. Though there are several designs of cochlear implant, all feature external components and internally implanted electrodes.
Because the nerve fibers within the cochlea are limited the impulses those fibers convey to the brain are also limited, leaving “gaps” in speech. Over time, the person learns where these gaps are and learns to interpret many of them into intelligible units of language. It can take adults several years to develop proficient hearing skills. The level of restored hearing generally correlates to the length of time between the onset of profound hearing loss and placement of the cochlear implant. Children who receive cochlear implants typically learn or regain language understanding and speech skills more quickly than adults, though children who have been profoundly deaf since birth (prelingual loss of hearing) typically do not acquire hearing and speaking skills comparable to those of children who have normal hearing.
Because the nerve fibers within the cochlea are limited the impulses those fibers convey to the brain are also limited, leaving “gaps” in speech. Over time, the person learns where these gaps are and learns to interpret many of them into intelligible units of language. It can take adults several years to develop proficient hearing skills. The level of restored hearing generally correlates to the length of time between the onset of profound hearing loss and placement of the cochlear implant. Children who receive cochlear implants typically learn or regain language understanding and speech skills more quickly than adults, though children who have been profoundly deaf since birth (prelingual loss of hearing) typically do not acquire hearing and speaking skills comparable to those of children who have normal hearing.
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