Successful Auditory Brain Stem Implant Bypasses Nerves

[frohike]

This kid was born without a cochlear nerve. He is the first to get his hearing restored by receiving an implant that bypasses the nerves and connects directly to his brain. This was a trial of the Food and Drug Administration.



Click here to see a picture of the stem implant in ABC News.

We bypassed the area where there is no cochlear nerve, and we applied the electrodes directly to the brain stem

Well, one day you wake up and this becomes a reality.

 

[Contrast]

this is like an advance cochlear implant that stimulates the Audiotory brain directly.

 

[frohike]

If anyone is curious (I was!) a voice through a cochlear implant sounds like this. I read something elsewhere about researches trying to improve the quality of the sound. Not looking forward to have my brain drilled, but I wonder if this could restore hearing one day.

 

[xCyborg]

I was really excited until I realized it's from 5 years ago.

But this is huge nonetheless, if refined and developed further, this technique or one similar (like stimulating targeted fibers of the cochlear nerve) bodes very well for future surgical therapies for tinnitus, should hair cell regeneration fails.