The restoration of hearing in neurofibromatosis type 2.

Central electrical stimulation of the auditory pathway can allow hearing in patients suffering from deafness localized in the auditory nerve. Developments in a multi-channel auditory brainstem implant based on the Nucleus Mini 22 Cochlear implant with transcutaneous signal transmission is discussed. The devices have been implanted in nine European patients suffering from Neurofibromatosis Type 2. Preliminary speech perception results and patient satisfaction are encouraging, and the data presented include some limited open speech recognition.