HESP Seminar: Kara Schvartz-Leyzac (MUSC)

Neural factors contributing to cochlear implant outcomes

Abstract: Cochlear implants (CIs) are highly successful neural prosthetic devices used to improve hearing in pediatric and adult patients with significant hearing loss. However, CI outcomes do vary widely across recipients and underlying factors that contribute to variable outcomes are poorly understood. We will present recent work that examines how the condition of the auditory nerve influences perception with a cochlear implant, and in contrast how non-neural factors also play a role in examining the relationship between these two variables. Lastly, we will discuss clinical implications of these findings and how measures of neural health could be used to improve CI outcomes.