Question

Cochlear implants restore the ability to understand speech by?

1) changing the overall rate of firing of cochlear cells
2) allowing pressure changes to occur within the cochlea
3) opening a larger aperture within the round window
4) electrically stimulating different regions of the basilar membrane
5) electrically stimulating the 8th cranial nerve at greater than 500 pulses per second

Answer 1

A cochlear implant restores the ability to understand speech by electrically stimulating different regions of the basilar membrane.

Step-by-step explanation:

A cochlear implant restores the ability to understand speech by electrically stimulating different regions of the basilar membrane. The cochlear implant consists of a microphone that picks up sound, a speech processor that selects sounds in the range of human speech, and a transmitter that converts these sounds to electrical impulses. These electrical impulses then stimulate the nerves of the basilar membrane, allowing the brain to interpret sound and understand speech.