COCHLEAR IMPLANT RESEARCH UPDATES Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange Cochlear Implant Research Updates Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2012 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. As for readers, this license allows users to download, copy and build upon published chapters even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Ana Skalamera Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer InTech Design Team First published April, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Cochlear Implant Research Updates, Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange p. cm. ISBN 978-953-51-0582-4 Contents Preface IX Section 1 Surgical Techniques 1 Chapter 1 Cochlear Implant Surgery 3 Hakan Soken, Sarah E. Mowry and Marlan R. Hansen Chapter 2 Modifications on the Alternative Method for Cochlea Implantation 23 R.A. Tange Section 2 Speech Processing Strategies 37 Chapter 3 Wavelet Based Speech Strategy in Cochlear Implant 39 Gulden Kokturk Chapter 4 Strategies to Improve Music Perception in Cochlear Implantees 59 Joshua Kuang-Chao Chen, Catherine McMahon and Lieber Po-Hung Li Chapter 5 A Review of Stimulating Strategies for Cochlear Implants 77 Charles T. M. Choi and Yi-Hsuan Lee Chapter 6 A Fine Structure Stimulation Strategy and Related Concepts 91 Clemens Zierhofer and Reinhold Schatzer Section 3 Other Research Updates 115 Chapter 7 Acoustic Simulations of Cochlear Implants in Human and Machine Hearing Research 117 Cong-Thanh Do VI Contents Chapter 8 The Cochlear Implant in Action: Molecular Changes Induced in the Rat Central Auditory System 137 Robert-Benjamin Illing and Nicole Rosskothen-Kuhl Chapter 9 Cochlear Implantation, Synaptic Plasticity and Auditory Function 167 Jahn N. O'Neil and David K. Ryugo Chapter 10 Cochlear Implants and the Right to Language: Ethical Considerations, the Ideal Situation, and Practical Measures Toward Reaching the Ideal 193 Tom Humphries, Poorna Kushalnagar, Gaurav Mathur, Donna Jo Napoli, Carol Padden, Christian Rathmann and Scott Smith Chapter 11 Cochlear Implantation in Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder 213 C. M. McMahon, K. M. Bate, A. Al-meqbel and R. B. Patuzzi Preface For many years or decades, cochlear implants have been an exciting research area covering multiple disciplines which include otology, engineering, audiology, speech language pathology, education and psychology, among others. Through these research studies, we have started to learn or have better understanding on various aspects of cochlear implant surgery and what follows after the surgery, the implant technology and other related aspects of cochlear implantation. Some are much better than the others but nevertheless, many are yet to be learnt. This book is intended to fill up some gaps in cochlear implant research studies. The compilation of the studies cover a fairly wide range of topics including surgical issues, some basic auditory research, studies to improve the speech or sound processing strategies used in cochlear implants, some ethical issues in language development and cochlear implantation in cases with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. The book is meant for postgraduate students, researchers and clinicians in the field to get some updates in their respective areas. To all the contributing authors, your efforts and patience are very much appreciated. We consider that one of the uniqueness of this publication is that the contributing authors are people who are experts and renowned in their fields. We have learned a lot throughout this whole process of involvement as book editors, just by reading and commenting on these superb-written chapters. We changed the earlier book title to ‘Cochlear Implant Research Updates’ to better define or reflect its content. In facilitating the expected diverse readers of this book, we have divided it into three sections: Surgical Techniques, Speech Processing Strategies, and Other Research Updates. We hope the readers will find the chapters in the book as much interesting and informative as we personally have. They are stimulating new findings and hold for the future of improving the technology, and better understanding of how the users hear through the cochlear implant device. One of the studies also discusses on the contra aspect of what we generally believe on the usefulness of the cochlear implant technology in facilitating speech and language development of young children with severe and profound hearing impairment. Reading the chapter is refreshing as we, in the excitement to observe how the cochlear implant technology changes the lives of many people who use this hearing device, tend to forget that there are people with different views on cochlear implantation especially for young children. Including this chapter in this book hopefully will allow readers to critically analyze the arguments or concerns put forward by this group of people. X Preface We would like to thank Ms Ana Skalamera as the book manager of this project and her dedicated publication team at InTech for this opportunity, their help and patience in finishing this project. Dr Cila Umat would like to thank her colleague Prof Dr. Siti Zamratol-Mai Sarah Mukari who has been a mentor and a friend and has consistently encouraged her to put up to this academic research exercise and challenges. Last but not least, her very special gratitude goes to her father Hj. Umat bin Hj. Baba, her loving mother Hjh. Maznah bt Hj. Abdullah and her siblings Along Anum Umat & family, Angah Bahia Umat & family, Achik Dauza Umat & family, Ezamudin Umat, Far’ain Umat and Gazlia Umat for their ever-lasting, undivided loves, support and encouragement. We hope that everyone who reads this book will benefit from the collection of studies presented here. Happy reading! Cila Umat, PhD School of Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malasyia Rinze Anthony Tange MD PhD Associate Professor Otology (UHD) Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology University Medical Center Utrecht Netherlands . COCHLEAR IMPLANT RESEARCH UPDATES Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange Cochlear Implant Research Updates Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange . hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Cochlear Implant Research Updates, Edited by Cila Umat and Rinze Anthony Tange p. cm. ISBN 978-953-51-0582-4 Contents. Illing and Nicole Rosskothen-Kuhl Chapter 9 Cochlear Implantation, Synaptic Plasticity and Auditory Function 167 Jahn N. O'Neil and David K. Ryugo Chapter 10 Cochlear Implants and the