Cochlear implants have provided thousands of deaf people with the ability to hear. Cochlear implants work by using electrodes to send pulses to the auditory nerve, which the brain then recognizes by sound. But for those born without an auditory nerve cochlear implants and hearing has not been an option, until now. Researchers from the University of Southern California have created an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) that doesn’t require an auditory nerve to provide sound. Essentially ABIs bypass the hearing nerve and are connected right to the brain. Researchers are finding that the devices are most effective when implanted in younger children because the brain will learn how to use the device to decipher sound, a learning trait that is harder with older patients. A small scale study made up of children age 2 and younger is currently underway and showing great success.
Device gives deaf children gift of hearing
More of Today's Solutions
A new law in Zambia makes free education much harder for future governments t...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There’s a particular kind of law that changes nothing overnight. The classrooms look the same the morning after ...
Read MoreA surprising look at how Father’s Day came to be
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Unlike Mother's Day, which was swiftly embraced and made official in 1914, Father’s Day spent decades in limbo. ...
Read MoreUnderstanding feline faces: cats communicate with 300 facial expressions
Many cat owners are used to interpreting their pet's feelings through meows and purrs, but the mysterious realm of feline communication is much deeper. A ...
Read MorePoland protects 10 of its most ancient forests by proclaiming ban on logging
In a significant step toward environmental conservation, Poland's newly appointed climate and environment minister, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, declared a half-year halt on logging in ten ...
Read More
