Cochlear Implants
It’s International Cochlear Implant Day!
Our hearing helps us orient to, navigate, and interact within our environments. We can protect ourselves or others if we hear threatening noises. We enjoy the sounds of nature, music, and various media. We learn language, routines, and new ideas. We communicate with others.
People with bilateral, profound, sensorineural hearing loss may benefit from cochlear implants, which are surgical devices that allow them to hear more frequencies of sound by simulating the auditory nerve. Children and adults that meet specific criteria undergo surgery and treatment to adapt to improved hearing and communicative / sensory changes.
I’ve never treated a client with a cochlear implant, but I am fascinated with anatomy and physiology of the hearing system. So, let’s discuss what a cochlear implant does to mimic ears’ functions and improve hearing skills. First, a microphone picks up sounds. Then a speech processor – a small computer – analyzes and digitizes the input, prioritizing spoken language. Next a transmitter sends the information to a surgically implanted stimulator, which lies just below the skin’s surface and converts digital information into electrical impulses. Then an electrode array implanted into the cochlea receives the signal and stimulates the auditory nerve. Finally, the brain receives the signal for interpretation. In therapy patients receive support to adjust to new sensory input, and guidance in how to decipher the signals.
Imagine hearing very little, and then everything in the home, car, school, store, etc. It would be a huge adjustment and usually takes time to process, respond to, and filter noise across all environments. Especially for children or people who have never heard adequately.
With medicine, science, technology, and continuity of care with specialists it’s possible to give people with severe hearing loss the chance to hear. It’s a personal and family choice, but having the choice is a gift. Let’s celebrate all the people who have benefited from cochlear implants today!
