Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2021 - ST-29

Experimental Hearing Implant Succeeds in Registering
Brain Waves
Researchers at KU Leuven have succeeded for the first time in measuring brain waves directly
via a cochlear implant, which can lead to further development of smart hearing aids.
KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
cochlear implant enables people with severe hearing loss
to hear again. An audiologist adjusts the device based on
the user's input, but this is not always easy. Think of children
who are born deaf or elderly people with dementia. They have
more difficulty assessing and communicating how well they
hear the sounds, resulting in an implant that is not optimally
tuned to their situation.
A
A possible solution is to adjust the implant based on brain
waves, which contain information about how the person
processes the sounds that they hear. This kind of objective
measurement can be made with an electroencephalogram
(EEG), whereby electrodes are placed on the head. However,
it would be more efficient if the implant itself could record the
brain waves to measure hearing quality.
Research by KU Leuven and manufacturer Cochlear on a
few human test subjects has shown for the first time that this
is possible. " We used an experimental implant that works
exactly the same way as a normal implant, but with easier
access to the electronics, " says postdoctoral researcher Ben
Somers. " A cochlear implant contains electrodes that stimulate
the auditory nerve. This is how sound signals are transmitted
to the brain. In our research, we have succeeded in using
these implanted electrodes to record the brain waves that
arise in response to sound. An additional advantage is that by
carefully choosing the right measuring electrodes, we can
measure larger brain responses than the classical EEG with
electrodes on the head. "
An implant that can register brain waves and measure hearing
quality on its own has various advantages. It provides an
objective measurement that does not depend on the user's
input. In addition, you could measure a person's hearing in
everyday life and monitor it better. So, in the long run, the user
would no longer have to undergo testing at a hospital. An audiologist
could consult the data remotely and adjust the implant
where necessary.
The researchers believe that in the future, it should even be
possible for the hearing implant to adjust itself autonomously
based on the recorded brain waves. There is a long way to go
before that, but this study is a necessary first step. Based on their
findings, manufacturers can now move forward with developing
smart hearing devices that improve the quality of life of the people
that use them. Besides audiological applications, there are
numerous other possibilities that come with measuring brain
waves. Think of monitoring sleep, attention span, or epilepsy,
but also, for example, so-called brain computer interfaces that
allow you to control other devices with brainwaves.
For more information, contact Bregt Van Hoeyveld at bregt.
vanhoeyveld@kuleuven.be.
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Researchers at KU Leuven have succeeded for the first time in measuring
brain waves directly via a cochlear implant. (Image courtesy of KU
Leuven)
Sensor Technology, June 2021
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