Minimizing Facial Nerve Stimulation in Cochlear Implants

This study aims to understand how to manipulate the electrical stimulation from the cochlear implant to maximize hearing stimulation and minimize facial stimulation. It is know from animal data that the hearing and facial nerves have different sensitivities to things like electrical pulse shape, its pattern, and its duration. It is very unclear however if this applies to human cochlear implant patients, and what the optimal parameters are to selectively stimulate the hearing nerve in humans. The outcomes of this study will be used to more selectively program some patients with severe facial nerve cross stimulation and to inform the development of new types of implant stimulation.