Modeling pulse train stimulation of electrically stimulated auditory nerve fibers

Auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) encode the synaptic input from the inner hair cells into afferent spiking information that is thereafter processed by the different nuclei in the auditory system. If the hair cells in the inner ear are degenerated and therefore not able to provide synaptic input to ANFs, cochlear implants (CIs) can be used to stimulate the ANFs (spiral ganglion cells) directly with electrical pulses. Such an electrical stimulation provides hearing for profoundly deaf people, often restoring the ability to understand speech in quiet conditions. However, researchers and device manufacturers are still searching for the optimal coding strategy that would improve the ability of CI users to cope in complex listening environments with multiple sound sources.