Cochlear Implants and Brain Plasticity

The ability to electrically stimulate the deafened auditory nerve in both humans and experimental animals provides an opportunity to study the relationship between neural activity and plasticity. This work aims to generate a review of this work. It reviews the pathological and atrophic changes that occur in the cochlea and auditory brainstem.

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The ability to electrically stimulate the deafened auditory nerve in both humans and experimental animals provides a unique opportunity to study the relationship between neural activity and plasticity. The objective of the editors in producing this special issue has been to generate a timely review of this work. The first contribution reviews the pathological and atrophic changes that occur in the cochlea and auditory brainstem following a sensorineural hearing loss in experimental animals. In the following, the trophic effects of re-afferentation following cochlear implantation are evaluated. Also the activity-dependent plastic response of the adult auditory brainstem following controlled cochlear lesions and the reactivation of this silenced pathway via cochlear implantation in an animal model is discussed. Another article addresses the theme of cortical maturation following a profound sensorineural hearing loss and cochlear implant use.