Understanding how the brain processes combined electrical and acoustic stimulation
- Research Opportunity
- PhD
- Number of Honour Places Available
- 1
- Department
- Medical Bionics Department
- Location
- Bionics Institute
| Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A/Prof James Fallon | JFALLON@bionicsinstitute.org |
Summary The expansion of criteria for cochlear implantation to include patients with substantial residual hearing has focused interest on the benefits of combined electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Although such stimulation via a hybrid cochlear implant (CI) and hearing aid in the same ear has been shown to improve speech understanding, particularly in noise, and to increase the aesthetic quality of sound, almost nothing is known about the physiological mechanisms underlying these benefits. A number of animal studies have been performed, but they have used normal hearing animals and used simple acoustic and electrical stimulation that are not representative of complex electrical and acoustic information that represent speech and have limited clinical relevance.
Project Details
The expansion of criteria for cochlear implantation to include patients with substantial residual hearing has focused interest on the benefits of combined electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS). Although such stimulation via a hybrid cochlear implant (CI) and hearing aid in the same ear has been shown to improve speech understanding, particularly in noise, and to increase the aesthetic quality of sound, almost nothing is known about the physiological mechanisms underlying these benefits. A number of animal studies have been performed, but they have used normal hearing animals and used simple acoustic and electrical stimulation that are not representative of complex electrical and acoustic information that represent speech and have limited clinical relevance.
This project will address this deficiency by investigating EAS in an appropriate animal model with clinically relevant acoustic and electrical stimuli.
General methods to be used in the project:
Electrophysiology, behavioural training, electrical stimulation
Suitable background of students:
This PhD project would suit a student with background in science (e.g. biomedical) or engineering (biomedical, electrical)
Faculty Research Themes
Research Opportunities
PhD
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department
Research Node
Bionics InstituteMDHS Research library
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