Electrical Stimulation of Acoustical Nerve and Inferior Colliculus

Cochlear Nucleus Implant

“…In 1964 Simmons stimulated the cochlear nerve in a patient undergoing removal of a recurrent cerebellar tumor under local anesthesia. 2 The patient reported sound sensation similar to the squarewave sounds he had heard during the auditory training on the previous day. Stimulation of the inferior colliculus, which was in the operative field, did not pro duce auditory sensations.…”

Audio-Vestibular Neurosensory Prosthetics: Origins, Expanding Indications and Future Directions

“…The first reported attempt at stimulation of the inferior colliculus (IC) of the midbrain for hearing restoration was in 1962 by Simmons and colleagues at Stanford University during a tumor removal operation [31]. The second attempt at stimulating the surface of the IC happened much later in 2005 and involved using an ABI array in a NF2 patient to assess if the limited performance with cochlear nucleus stimulation secondary to tumor related damage could be overcome by stimulation in a higher auditory center and they were successful in eliciting a response at much higher thresholds than what is used in cochlear nucleus stimulation [32].…”

On the Horizon

“…From 1964 through the middle of the 1980's, Simmons and colleague published a series of reports investigating the direct intraoperative stimulation of the auditory nerve, implantation of an intraneural device into the auditory nerve, subsequent work in animal models and a return to human direct nerve implantation. 8, 46-54 Amazingly, the initial human experiments resulted in auditory perceptions. 46, 48 Subsequent work in cats and then humans demonstrated that chronically implanted intraneural electrodes yield stable long-term thresholds and were well tolerated though evidence of partial SGN loss and insertional neural trauma was found.…”

“…8, 46-54 Amazingly, the initial human experiments resulted in auditory perceptions. 46, 48 Subsequent work in cats and then humans demonstrated that chronically implanted intraneural electrodes yield stable long-term thresholds and were well tolerated though evidence of partial SGN loss and insertional neural trauma was found. 49-51, 53, 54 As reviewed and cited in Arts et al (2003), the next development was that of the “Michigan” array, a series of electrodes on 1 or more thin shanks.…”