Eddington D K, Dobelle W H, Brackmann D E, Mladejovsky M G, Parkin J L
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1978 Nov-Dec;87(6 Pt 2):1-39.
Although single-channel electrode arrays implanted in the scala tympani of deaf patients are useful as an aid to lip reading and for distinguishing some environmental sounds, they do not transmit intelligible speech. However, multichannel electrode arrays, which take advantage of the cochlea's tonotopic organization, may be capable of generating the complex patterns of neural activity necessary for speech discrimination. In this study, multichannel electrodes were implanted in the cochleas of four volunteers, with access to the connecting wires made through the skin via a percutaneous connector. The major portion of the data presented is from two of these subjects: one has been bilaterally deaf since birth and the other has been unilaterally deaf for 15 years. Preliminary results of experiments with two more recently implanted subjects are described as well as experiments with a fifth volunteer who was implanted with five electrodes by House in 1969. Data on pitch and loudness discrimination as well as the effects of stimulation parameters on threshold, impedance, and electrode interaction are presented. Place pitch and periodicity pitch were observed in all five volunteers. The results of pitch-matching experiments with the unilaterally deaf volunteer were consistent with tonotopic maps of the cochlea, and experiments indicated that a pitch continuum may be achieved by combining place and periodicity pitch modulation. Preliminary experiments in tune recognition with one subject demonstrate his ability to recognize simple melodies based on periodicity pitch cues. These results, coupled with the finding that subjective sensations remain stable over the long-term, support the feasibility of providing artificial hearing with a multichannel cochlear stimulation system.
尽管植入聋人患者鼓阶的单通道电极阵列有助于唇读和区分一些环境声音，但它们无法传输可理解的语音。然而，利用耳蜗音调拓扑组织的多通道电极阵列或许能够产生语音辨别所需的复杂神经活动模式。在本研究中，多通道电极被植入四名志愿者的耳蜗中，通过经皮连接器穿过皮肤接入连接线。所呈现数据的主要部分来自其中两名受试者：一名自出生起双耳失聪，另一名单侧失聪15年。还描述了另外两名近期植入受试者的实验初步结果，以及1969年豪斯为第五名志愿者植入五个电极的实验结果。给出了音高和响度辨别数据，以及刺激参数对阈值、阻抗和电极相互作用的影响。在所有五名志愿者中均观察到了位置音高和周期性音高。对单侧失聪志愿者进行的音高匹配实验结果与耳蜗的音调拓扑图一致，并且实验表明，通过结合位置音高和周期性音高调制或许可以实现一个音高连续体。对一名受试者进行的曲调识别初步实验证明了他基于周期性音高线索识别简单旋律的能力。这些结果，再加上主观感觉长期保持稳定这一发现，支持了使用多通道耳蜗刺激系统提供人工听觉的可行性。
