Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
03:49
Author Spotlight: Optimizing EAS with Long Electrodes for Enhanced Cochlear Coverage and Hearing Preservation
Published on: October 11, 2024
1.3K
Cochlear Nerve Stimulation in the Internal Auditory Canal in Ossified Cochlea: A Case Study
Andrea Canale1, Federico Dagna2, Michelangelo Lacilla1
1Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
|April 15, 2015
Summary
Direct cochlear nerve stimulation via intraneural placement of a cochlear implant array in a patient with severe hearing loss yielded unexpected auditory perception. This case demonstrates potential for hearing restoration through direct nerve stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Bilateral progressive hearing loss presents significant challenges.
- Cochlear implantation is a standard treatment for severe to profound hearing loss.
- Anatomical variations can complicate cochlear implant surgery.
Observation:
- A case report detailing a 23-year-old patient with bilateral complete semicircular canal aplasia and ossified cochleas.
- During cochlear implantation, a patent cochlear lumen was not found.
- The cochlear implant array was positioned within the internal auditory canal, adjacent to the cochlear nerve.
Findings:
- Intraneural direct cochlear nerve stimulation was achieved.
- Despite the anomalous placement, the patient achieved a word recognition score of 18/25 with lip reading.
- Acceptable frequency discrimination was also observed, exceeding initial expectations.
Implications:
- This case suggests that direct intraneural cochlear nerve stimulation can provide a degree of auditory perception.
- While not a proposed new indication, it highlights the plasticity of the auditory system.
- Further research may explore the potential of direct nerve stimulation in cases of cochlear malformation or damage.
Related Concept Videos
01:13The Cochlea
52.7K
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
52.7K
01:16Anatomy of the Ear
14.0K
Auditory sensation, commonly called hearing, involves the transformation of sonic waves into neural impulses facilitated by the structures of the auditory organ. The prominent, flesh-like structure on the side of the head, called the auricle, directs sound waves towards the auditory canal. The auricle is often mislabeled as the pinna, a term more aligned with mobile structures like a feline's external ear. The auditory canal penetrates the cranium via the external auditory meatus of the...
14.0K
01:15Auditory Pathway
9.1K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
9.1K
01:22Hair Cells
46.8K
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here.
46.8K
01:11The Auditory Ossicles
4.0K
The auditory ossicles of the middle ear transmit sounds from the air as vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea. The auditory ossicles consist of two malleus (hammer) bones, two incus (anvil) bones, and two stapes (stirrups), one on each side. These bones develop during the fetal stage and are the ones to ossify first. They are fully mature at birth and do not grow afterward.
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
The aptly named stapes look very much like a stirrup. The three ossicles are unique to mammals, and each plays a role in...
4.0K