Principal Investigator: Christopher J. Linstrom, M.D., Carol A. Silverman, Ph.D., Nancy A. Gilston, M.S.

Objective: Cochlear implants provide amplification to children and adults with severe to profound sensorineural hearing impairment who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids. Cochlear implants transduce incoming air-conducted sound at the ear into electrical pulses which are then delivered through the skin to electrodes surgically implanted in the cochlea. These electrodes stimulate the auditory nerve, thereby overcoming the barrier of a deafened cochlea. The goal of this investigation is to identify the factors that are predictive of successful outcomes of cochlear implant use in children from multiculturally and linguistically diverse populations.

Overview: Our department has been involved in long-term follow-up of the speech, language, auditory, academic, and behavioral development of children from multicultural and linguistically diverse populations who received their cochlear implants at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Other Co-Investigators include Janet Reath Schoepflin, PhD, from Adelphi University, New York.

Contact Information: Christopher Linstrom, M.D., (212) 979-4200