Cochlear implants artificially restore hearing to people with hearing loss through electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve, but hearing outcomes are limited by the broad spread of current throughout the cochlea fluids. Optogenetic stimulation can improve spatial precision within the cochlea, but cannot achieve the high stimulation rates used in contemporary cochlear implants. Hybrid (optogenetic and electrical) stimulation offers a means of achieving both high spatial precision whilst maintaining high stimulation rates. We recorded auditory nerve responses to three modes of stimulation – light/optogenetic, electrical, and hybrid – and compared the activation thresholds and temporal precision across the modalities.

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Elise Ajay, Alexander C. Thompson, Andrew Wise, David B. Grayden, James Fallon, and Rachael Richardson, "Hybrid optogenetic and electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve," Proc. SPIE PC12377, Optical Interactions with Tissue and Cells XXXIV, PC1237701 (Presented at SPIE BiOS: January 28, 2023; Published: 7 March 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2657073.6322004507112.