Casopís lékar̆ů c̆eských
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Casopís lékar̆ů c̆eských · Mar 1989
[Electric stimulation of auditory nerve fibers. Experimental study].
The authors tested in animal experiments the effectiveness of electrical stimulation of acoustic nerve fibres. To guinea pigs platinum-iridium electrodes were implanted in the round window of the cochlea. The receptors of the inner ear were functionally eliminated by the local application of the ototoxic antibiotic gentamicin. ⋯ This relationship was the same for extracochlear and intracochlear stimulation, the absolute threshold values of the current in the same animal were, however, as a rule lower on intracochlear stimulation. The dynamic range of responses to electrical stimulation (difference between threshold intensity of the current and the intensity which produces a painful response of the animal) was 6-20 dB, as compared with 80-100 dB of the dynamic range for acoustic stimulation. The results of the experiments were used in the preparation of the Czechoslovak cochlear neuroprosthesis and serve as a basis for the further development of the implant.