Long Latency Auditory Evoked Potentials (P300) Outcomes in Patients With Unilateral Cochlear Implants

Bilateral severe to profound hearing loss is a socially disabling handicap. Cochlear implants can be used to improve hearing in cases where conventional hearing aids are not effective. There are few studies about the long latency Auditory Evoked Potential (P300), in individuals with hearing loss and Cochlear Implant (CI) users. The aim of this project is to study the behavior of P300 in users of unilateral CI. Twenty patients with bilateral severe and/or profound post-lingual deafness, all submitted to CI surgery, will be evaluated. Patients will be evaluated through P300 testing on the day before CI surgery, on the day of device activation and 6 months after device use. It is hoped that this study can contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of brain plasticity involved in the recovery of hearing function after CI surgery. There are few studies on the behavior of P300 in CI users and there are no studies showing how central stimulation occurs after device implantation, during the phases of pre CI, CI activation and 6 months after CI.