Restoring Hearing Cochlear implants are electronic devices that are surgically implanted behind the ear. A microphone picks up sounds from the environment, which are converted into electrical impulses that directly stimulate the auditory nerve via electrodes implanted in the cochlea. Cochlear implants do not restore normal hearing (Farris-Trimble & others, 2014). However, their use, especially when implanted in early childhood, can allow hearing-impaired individuals to perceive speech and other everyday sounds (Clark & others, 2013; O’Donoghue, 2013).

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