[Electrical stimulation of the middle ear in total deafness: results in 375 cases (author's transl)]

Electrical stimulation of the middle ear can provoke sound sensations in 90 p. cent of patients with total deafness, as shown by auditory evoked potentials brain stem recordings. This signifies that cochlear nerve destruction is not complete, and rehabilitation by multiple electrode cochlear implants is possible. The liminal stimulation threshold level appears to be inversely proportional to the functional quality of the electrode-nerve interface obtained by the implants. The electrical stimulation of the middle ear test is therefore essential for selection of patients for operation, and for predicting the quality of rehabilitation that will be obtained.