A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted neuroprosthetic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe to profound sensorineural(SNHL) hearing loss. Cochlear implants bypass the normal acoustic hearing process, instead replacing it with electric signals which directly stimulate the auditory nerve.

HOW DOES A HEARING IMPLANT WORK

• An electrode array is implanted into the inner ear and a processor is worn over the outer ear.
• Sound is picked up by the processor microphone, analyzed, and transmitted to the internal implant via a magnet.
• The internal implant converts the input into electrical signals, which are transferred to the electrodes.
• The electrodes then stimulate the cochlear nerve.

criteria for Cochlear Implant

According to current criteria ( FDA, Govt. of India, ADIP scheme), the indications for cochlear implantation are bilateral Severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) for children ages 12-24 months with limited or No benefits from hearing aids with minimum 6 months of continuous uses of hearing aids & extensive auditory training and speech therapy.

• Cochlear implants are for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL) and poor speech understanding(speech discrimination score%) who do not receive benefit from traditional hearing aids
• There should not be any structural deformities of cochlea or auditory nerves (Inner Ear)
• Implantation at a young age is highly recommended because hearing is important for language development and because research has shown better outcomes for children implanted at an early age
• Older children and adults with previous speech and language development generally perform better with a cochlear implant
• A long period of profound hearing loss may limit the benefits of a cochlear implant

Hope beyond hearing aids

According to WHO report, Over 5% of the world's population – or 466 million people – has disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people – or one in every ten people – will have disabling hearing loss. From 34 million children worldwide have hearing loss and 2 out of 1000 babies born deaf and upto 5 babies in every 1,000 babies are born with hearing loss or lose their hearing soon after birth. Hearing aids make sounds louder. Cochlear implants are different; they bypass the damaged part of the ear and stimulate the hearing nerve directly. Cochlear implants enhance the clarity of sounds and improve your ability to understand speech. It may also help you to regain confidence in social situations, rejoin friends and family and live a fuller life.In a recent study, people with cochlear implants could understand sentences eight times better than they could previously with their hearing aids.

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)

Auditory-verbal therapy is a method for teaching deaf children to listen and speak using their residual hearing in addition to the constant use of amplification devices such as hearing aids, FM devices, and cochlear implants. Auditory-verbal therapy emphasizes speech and listening WITHOUT the use of sign language or lip reading. AVT Observations will include children at various stages of Auditory-Verbal development, including children utilizing both hearing aids and cochlear implants, within a variety of therapy activities and teaching styles.

Benefits of Cochlear Implants

• Hearing ranges from near normal ability to understand speech to no hearing benefit at all.
• Adults often benefit immediately and continue to improve for about 3 months after the initial tuning sessions. Then, although performance continues to improve, improvements are slower. Cochlear implant users' performances may continue to improve for several years.
• Children may improve at a slower pace. A lot of training is needed after implantation to help the child use the new 'hearing' he or she now experiences.
• Most perceive loud, medium and soft sounds. People report that they can perceive different types of sounds, such as footsteps, slamming of doors, sounds of engines, ringing of the telephone, barking of dogs, whistling of the tea kettle, rustling of leaves, the sound of a light switch being switched on and off, and so on.
• Many understand speech without lip-reading. However, even if this is not possible, using the implant helps lip-reading.
• Many can make telephone calls and understand familiar voices over the telephone. Some good performers can make normal telephone calls and even understand an unfamiliar speaker. However, not all people who have implants are able to use the phone.
• Many can watch TV more easily, especially when they can also see the speaker's face. However, listening to the radio is often more difficult as there are no visual cues available.
• Some can enjoy music. Some enjoy the sound of certain instruments (piano or guitar, for example) and certain voices. Others do not hear well enough to enjoy music.

Cochlear Implant Mapping & Programming

Mapping or programming a cochlear implant to the specifications and needs of its user. MAPs are programs that help to optimize the cochlear implant user's access to sound by adjusting the input to the electrodes on the array that is implanted into the cochlea. Cochlear implants (CI) processors must be appropriately programmed and customized for the recipient.During the first programming appointments, most people do not understand the information the implant is providing them. The goal is to get your nerves and brain used to hearing again. Over the following months, the implant stimulation patterns will be understood by the brain, providing comprehension of speech. As your hearing becomes more sensitive, programming will consist of adjustments to accommodate the changes.