Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of California Irvine received a $530,902 Project Grant awarded July 2, 2026, through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) under the Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders program (CFDA 93.173). This research initiative investigates a novel auditory prosthesis designed to enhance cochlear implant (CI) performance by integrating an intraneural (IN) electrode that directly stimulates auditory nerve fibers. The project aims to overcome current CI limitations in temporal pitch perception—a critical capability that impacts users' ability to segregate competing sounds in complex acoustic environments, recognize emotional speech cues and tonal variations, and appreciate musical content. Prior studies demonstrated that the IN electrode can selectively activate low-frequency auditory pathways originating from the cochlear apex, which are specialized for transmitting temporal fine structure information at higher stimulus rates than conventional CIs.

The deliverable under this award is scientific and technical evidence demonstrating how the physiological benefits of IN stimulation translate to improved pitch perception in the hybrid "CI+1" device through five years of research and testing (completion date June 30, 2031). Research outputs will include data from chronic implantation studies, non-invasive scalp recordings of electrically-evoked frequency-following responses, and clinical validation of enhanced temporal fine structure sensitivity. These findings will inform the translation of the CI+1 technology toward human clinical application, potentially advancing hearing restoration outcomes for cochlear implant users with significant implications for speech recognition, auditory perception, and quality of life in multimodal listening environments.