The Inferior Colliculus as a Site of Electrical Stimulation

描述（由申请人提供）：在过去的几十年里，内耳的电刺激已经使聋人具有了听到和理解言语的非凡能力。然而，由于缺乏听觉神经，一些患者无法通过放置在耳朵中的植入物获得帮助，这些听觉神经可能是先天性缺失，通过创伤受损，或在肿瘤手术中移除。在这些患者中，传递声学信息的唯一方法是通过直接脑刺激。一个潜在的刺激部位是中脑的下丘（IC）。IC是听觉信息在皮层表征之前的主要汇聚部位。本研究将测量家兔IC对电刺激的生理和行为反应。刺激将包括已知可被动物辨别的语音线索。该假设是基于IC神经元对听觉刺激的响应的电刺激模式与用于人工耳蜗植入的刺激模式相比将改善语音线索的生理和行为辨别。这些实验将测试通过刺激下丘（大脑中听觉整合的主要中心）来实现功能性听力的能力。预期的健康益处包括未来开发帮助聋人和听力受损者的设备、软件和治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the last few decades, electrical stimulation of the inner ear has allowed a remarkable ability for deaf individuals to hear and understand speech. However, some patients cannot be helped by an implant placed in the ear due to the lack of auditory nerves, which can be either congenitally absent, damaged through trauma, or removed in surgery for tumors. In these patients, the only way to deliver acoustic information is through direct brain stimulation. A potential site for stimulation is the inferior colliculus (IC) in the midbrain. The IC is major site for the convergence of auditory information prior to its representation in the cortex. The current study will measure the physiological and behavioral responses to electrical stimulation of the IC in rabbits. The stimuli will include speech cues known to be discriminable by animals. The hypothesis is that patterns of electrical stimulation based on the responses of IC neurons to auditory stimuli will improve the physiological and behavioral discrimination of the speech cues compared to stimulation patterns used for cochlear implants. The experiments will test the ability to achieve functional hearing by stimulation of the inferior colliculus, a major center for auditory integration in the brain. The expected health benefits include future development of devices, software and treatments that assist the deaf and hearing impaired.