Cochlear Implant

What Is Cochlear Implant?

A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted, electronic prosthetic device that provides electric stimulation directly to auditory nerve fibers in the cochlea. It effectively bypasses damaged inner ear hair cells to deliver a signal to the brain, which is then interpreted as sound. A CI consists of two components: an internal (implanted) device and an external sound processor. The sound processor (external) receives sound from a microphone, processes the digital sound signal, and transmits it to the CI (internal) electrodes in the cochlea. The signal is then received by the auditory nerve and transmitted to the brain as an electrical signal.

In addition to the patient and the patient’s family, an interprofessional CI team may include an audiologist, an otolaryngologist/otologist (implant surgeon), a Speech Therapist, a pediatrician/primary care physician, a mental health professional, a developmental specialist, an occupational therapist, an educator, a vocational counselor, a social worker, a geneticist, and/or a neurologist. Interprofessional teams integrate different professional perspectives and backgrounds to provide high-quality comprehensive care. Depending on the specific situation, a patient may see a combination of service providers, both internal and external to a CI center. For example, a patient may see one audiologist/Speech Therapist at the CI center and another audiologist/Speech Therapist at school or one audiologist for hearing aid care and a different audiologist for CI care. Collaborative, interprofessional teams work together on a continuous basis and engage in group decision-making regarding assessment, treatment, progress monitoring, and treatment outcomes.

Persian Speech Clinic can help those with Cochlear Implants to improve their communication skills, and speech and language development.