Electrical stimulation of the cochlea in man: hearing induction and tinnitus suppression

Sensations induced by electrical stimulation of the cochlea in humans through a promontory or a round window electrode were studied in sixteen subjects. All the patients had total or severe hearing losses. Comparison of the results with the recordings of cochlear potentials gave valuable information in all cases about the site and degree of the disorder. The data on electrically induced auditory sensation are very similar to the general findings of other authors and support the attempts of rehabilitation of the deaf by this means. The most important result reported here is the cancellation of tinnitus during stimulation by positive pulses in most cases, without affecting simultaneous acoustical or electrical hearing. This phenomenon is very reliable and could lead to very important future developments.