The histological and physiological effects of the auditory brainstem prosthesis of the auditory pathway [Abstract]

Abstract

The cochlear implant can successfully rehabilitate the majority of profoundly deaf patients. However, some of them cannot benefit from the cochlear implant due to bilateral interruption of the auditory nerve, particularly from neurofibromatosis II. These patients can be stimulated directly with an auditory brainstem prosthesis on the cochlear nucleus. To examine the safety and the efficacy of this prosthesis, the cochlear nuclei of guinea pigs were implanted unilaterally with bipolar surface electrodes, and stimulated acutely using charge-balanced, biphasic current pulses at rates of 250, SOO or 1000 Hz and charge intensities of 1.8, 2.8, 3.5 or 7.1?C/phase/cm2.