The Inferior Colliculus as a Site of Electrical Stimulation

描述(申请人提供)：在过去的几十年里，电刺激内耳已经使聋人能够听到和理解语言的非凡能力。然而，由于缺乏听神经，一些患者无法通过在耳朵中放置植入物来帮助他们，听神经可以是先天缺失的，或者是由于创伤而受损的，或者是在肿瘤手术中被移除的。在这些患者中，传递声音信息的唯一方式是通过直接的大脑刺激。一个潜在的刺激部位是中脑的下丘(IC)。IC是听觉信息在大脑皮层呈现之前汇聚的主要场所。本研究将在兔体内测试IC对电刺激的生理和行为反应。刺激物将包括动物已知可以辨别的语音提示。假设基于IC神经元对听觉刺激的反应的电刺激模式与用于人工耳蜗植入的刺激模式相比，将提高对语音提示的生理和行为辨别能力。这些实验将测试通过刺激下丘实现功能性听力的能力，下丘是大脑中听觉整合的主要中心。预期的健康益处包括未来开发帮助聋人和听力受损的设备、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.