Nucleus 20-channel and 21-channel auditory brain stem implants: first European experiences.

Central electrical stimulation of the auditory pathway can allow hearing in patients suffering from deafness localized in the auditory nerve. Developments in a multichannel auditory brain stem implant based on the Nucleus Mini 22 cochlear implant with transcutaneous signal transmission is discussed. The device has been implanted in seven European patients who suffered from neurofibromatosis type 2. Preliminary speech perception results and patient satisfaction are encouraging, and the data presented include some limited open-set speech recognition.