Cochlear implants bypass the conductive auditory path to stimulate nerve fibers directly

Evidence

A cochlear implant (Clark, 2003; Zeng et al., 2003) is a surgically implanted electrical device that transmits sound to the auditory nerve fibres in the cochlea. The conductive part of the auditory path and part of the cochlea are bypassed. A cochlear implant can provide a usable sense of hearing in those cases where the hearing impairment is so severe that a hearing aid cannot provide adequate help. These cases include deafness or severe to profound bilateral hearing loss due to sensorineural impairment. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2759

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clear definition of what a cochlear implant mechanically does and when it is indicated.