Multichannel optical cochlear implants enable spectrally distinct auditory activity

ABSTRACT: When hearing fails, cochlear implants (CIs) restore auditory perception. Yet, coding of spectral information remains a bottleneck because each electrode broadly activates the auditory nerve. As light can be more conveniently confined, optical (o)CIs present an alternative. Here, we combined expression of the potent channelrhodopsin ChReef in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) with oCIs comprising 5-10 green LEDs in gerbils. This combination enabled systematic comparison of encoding intensity and spectral information by individual oCI channels to acoustic and electrical stimulation within a translationally feasible energy range. Recordings from the inferior colliculus (ICC) showed that ChReef aligned SGN light sensitivity with LED radiant fluxes: ICC activity had thresholds <200 nJ and reach

SUBMITTER: Niels Albrecht 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44321-026-00541-2 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other