Department of Otolaryngology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK.
Published: December 2008
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
This study, using positron emission tomography, investigates the cortical activation generated by auditory stimulation in two congenitally blind cochlear implant users. In the patient with a relatively short history of deafness, activity increased in both auditory cortices and fell in the visual cortices. The patient with a longer period of deafness had greater activation of the visual cortices than the auditory cortices. A similar pattern of activity was seen when this patient subsequently had a second cochlear implant inserted into the opposite ear. The neural pathways formed after the restoration of auditory input in the congenitally blind can activate either the auditory or visual cortices. We suggest that the visual cortical activation demonstrated is of functional significance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are expected to have some degree of hearing loss (HL) and at least 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop treatment strategies for HL.
Introduction: Wolfram syndrome, a rare autosomal recessive disorder, is characterised by diabetes insipidus, juvenile diabetes mellitus, optic nerve atrophy and deafness (DIDMOAD).
Case Report: We present a case of a 21-year-old male diagnosed with Wolfram syndrome who underwent cochlear implantation due to progressive hearing loss. The patient first complained of bilateral hearing loss at the age of 8 years.
Objective: This study assessed the relevance of auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds in evaluating cochlear implantation (CI) candidacy by studying their correlation with functional hearing in patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
Design And Study Sample: In this retrospective study, we examined correlations between ABR thresholds, speech perception scores in quiet and pure-tone audiometry in 191 adults. We compared these correlations between individuals with different degrees of SNHL to discern differences in potential CI candidates and individual with less severe SNHL.
Unlabelled: Auditory masking-the interference of the encoding and processing of an acoustic stimulus imposed by one or more competing stimuli-is nearly omnipresent in daily life, and presents a critical barrier to many listeners, including people with hearing loss, users of hearing aids and cochlear implants, and people with auditory processing disorders. The perceptual aspects of masking have been actively studied for several decades, and particular emphasis has been placed on masking of speech by other speech sounds. The neural effects of such masking, especially at the subcortical level, have been much less studied, in large part due to the technical limitations of making such measurements.
Objectives: Implantable bone conduction hearing devices offer excellent auditory rehabilitation. Transcutaneous devices, which use an implanted magnet, are gaining popularity due to higher skin complications associated with traditional percutaneous devices. The Cochlear Baha® Attract System (Cochlear Corporation, Sydney, Australia) is a transcutaneous device and is regarded as a passive transcutaneous implant.
