Bilateral cochlear implants may restore binaural sound
processing in the brain, says a researcher.
Cochlear implants — electronic devices surgically implanted
in the ear to help provide a sense of sound — have been successfully used since
the late 1980's. But questions remain as to whether bilateral cochlear
implants, placed in each ear rather than the traditional single-ear implant,
are truly able to facilitate binaural hearing. Now, a university researchers
have proof that under certain conditions, this practice has the ability to
salvage binaural sound processing for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.