Selectivity of optical stimulation in the auditory system

Agnella D. Izzo; Jyoti Pathria; Eul Suh; Joseph T. Walsh Jr.; Donna S. Whitlon; E. Duco Jansen; Claus-Peter Richter

doi:10.1117/12.659743

22 February 2006 Selectivity of optical stimulation in the auditory system

Agnella D. Izzo, Jyoti Pathria, Eul Suh, Joseph T. Walsh Jr., Donna S. Whitlon, E. Duco Jansen, Claus-Peter Richter

Proceedings Volume 6078, Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics II; 60781P (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.659743
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

It is known that electrical current injected from cochlear implant contacts spreads within the cochlea, causing overlapping stimulation fields and possibly limiting the performance of cochlear implant users. We have investigated an alternative mechanism to stimulate auditory neurons in the gerbil cochlea using a laser, rather than electrical current. With the laser, it is possible to direct the light to a selected, known volume of tissue that is smaller than the electrically stimulated population of cells. In the present experiments, a transiently expressed transcription factor, c-FOS, was used to stain activated nerve cells. Immunohistochemical staining for c-FOS in the cochlea shows a small area of optical stimulation, which occurs directly opposite to the optical fiber. Additionally, masking data indicate that the laser can stimulate a small population of cells similar to an acoustic toneburst. Smaller populations of stimulated cells could reduce the amount of overlap in stimulation fields and allow more stimulation contacts in a neuroprothesis.

Citation Download Citation

Agnella D. Izzo, Jyoti Pathria, Eul Suh, Joseph T. Walsh Jr., Donna S. Whitlon, E. Duco Jansen, and Claus-Peter Richter "Selectivity of optical stimulation in the auditory system", Proc. SPIE 6078, Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics II, 60781P (22 February 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.659743

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available