Wednesday, June 11, 2014

First Brain scan for cochlear implants users

Macquarie University photo of the research team
For years, scientists have not been able to look at what a cochlear implant does while it's in the brain. The implant material and its signals interfere with brain scans. But researchers at Australia's Macquarie University say they've figured out how to get a clear view of what's going on with a brain scan. The world's first Cochlear Implant (CI) MEG scanner is a joint project between the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD) and Hear and Say Queensland. Lead researcher Blake Johnson says, “This is the first study of its kind and will form the proof of concept for a larger scale studies investigating brain changes following cochlear implantation in preschool children, and the impact of an enriched auditory environment.” Read more here.