A cochlear implant is an electronic device that can restore useful hearing and provide improved

communication abilities for persons who have a bilateral (both ears) severe to profound sensorineural hearing

loss. Persons who receive little to no benefit from hearing aids are considered for cochlear implant candidacy.

The cochlear implant is based on the idea that there are enough auditory nerve fibers left for stimulation in

the vicinity of the electrodes. Once the nerve fibers are stimulated, they fire and propagate neural impulses to

the brain. The brain interprets them as sounds.

HOW IS COCHLEAR IMPLANT DIFFERENT FROM HEARING AIDS?

1. Hearing aids and other assistive listening devices simply amplify sounds. A cochlear implant, on the other

hand, transforms speech and other sounds into electrical energy that is used to stimulate surviving auditory

nerve fibers in the inner ear.

2. Unlike most hearing aids, cochlear implants have both internal (inside the body) and external (worn outside

the body) components. A surgical procedure is needed to place the internal processor component of the

implant.