What does the future hold for cochlear implants? Prior to implantation, all of these factors need to be considered. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are frequently involved in this learning process. An additional consideration is learning to interpret the sounds created by an implant. Surgical implantations are almost always safe, although complications are a risk factor, just as with any kind of surgery. Some individuals may choose not to have a cochlear implant for a variety of personal reasons. For example, a person’s health insurance may cover the expense, but not always. The decision to receive an implant should involve discussions with medical specialists, including an experienced cochlear-implant surgeon. Not everyone performs at the same level with this device. Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. How does someone receive a cochlear implant? They learn to associate the signals from the implant with sounds they remember, including speech, without requiring any visual cues such as those provided by lipreading or sign language. Some adults who have lost all or most of their hearing later in life can also benefit from cochlear implants. Studies have also shown that eligible children who receive a cochlear implant before 18 months of age develop language skills at a rate comparable to children with normal hearing, and many succeed in mainstream classrooms. Research has shown that when these children receive a cochlear implant followed by intensive therapy before they are 18 months old, they are better able to hear, comprehend sound and music, and speak than their peers who receive implants when they are older. For young children who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing, using a cochlear implant while they are young exposes them to sounds during an optimal period to develop speech and language skills. Since 2000, cochlear implants have been FDA-approved for use in eligible children beginning at 12 months of age. The FDA first approved cochlear implants in the mid-1980s to treat hearing loss in adults. Food and Drug Administration, as reported by cochlear implant manufacturers approved for the U.S. In the United States, roughly 118,100 devices have been implanted in adults and 65,000 in children. As of December 2019, approximately 736,900 registered devices have been implanted worldwide. Who gets cochlear implants?Ĭhildren and adults who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing can be fitted for cochlear implants. However, it allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and understand speech in person or over the telephone. Hearing through a cochlear implant is different from normal hearing and takes time to learn or relearn. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. How does a cochlear implant work?Ī cochlear implant is very different from a hearing aid. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech.
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