UNASSIGNED: Cochlear implants (CI) have been used for several decades to treat @entity1 with profound @entity393 . Nevertheless, results vary between individuals, and fine hearing is generally poor due to the lack of discrete neural stimulation from the individual receptor hair cells. A major problem is the deliverance of independent stimulation signals to individual auditory neurons. Fine hearing requires significantly more stimulation contacts with intimate neuron/electrode interphases from ordered axonal re-growth, something current CI technology cannot provide. Here, we demonstrate the potential application of micro-textured nanocrystalline @entity11710 (NCD) surfaces on CI electrode arrays. Such textured NCD surfaces consist of micrometer-sized nail-head-shaped pillars (size 5*5 m(2)) made with sequences of micro/nano-fabrication processes, including sputtering, photolithography and plasma etching. The results show that @entity1 and @entity19 @entity389 and, potentially, neural progenitor cells can attach to patterned NCD surfaces without an extracellular matrix coating. Microscopic methods revealed adhesion and neural growth, specifically along the nail-head-shaped NCD pillars in an ordered manner, rather than in non-textured areas. This pattern was established when the inter-NCD pillar distance varied between 4 and 9 m. The findings demonstrate that regenerating auditory neurons show a strong affinity to the NCD pillars, and the technique could be used for neural guidance and the creation of new neural networks. Together with the NCD's unique anti-bacterial and electrical properties, patterned NCD surfaces could provide designed neural/electrode interfaces to create independent electrical stimulation signals in CI electrode arrays for the neural population. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cochlear implant is currently a successful way to treat @entity1274 and @entity2319 especially in @entity1 . Although clinically successful, @entity1 ' fine hearing cannot be completely restored. One problem is the amount of the electrodes; 12-20 electrodes are used to replace the function of 3400 inner hair cells. Intense research is ongoing aiming to increase the number of electrodes. This study demonstrates the use of nanocrystalline @entity11710 as a potential nerve-electrode interface. Micrometer-sized nanocrystalline @entity11710 pillars showed high affinity to regenerated @entity1 neurons, which grew into a pre-defined network based on the pillar design. Our findings are of particular interest since they can be applied on any @entity6619 -based implant to increase electrode count and to achieve individual neuron stimulation patterns.

Strategy towards independent electrical stimulation from cochlear implants: Guided auditory neuron growth on topographically modified nanocrystalline XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children', 'human', 'patients'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['murine'] @entity11710 :: ('MESH:D018130', 'Chemical') :: ['diamond'] @entity2319 :: ('MESH:D003638', 'Disease') :: ['deafness'] @entity1274 :: ('MESH:D006319', 'Disease') :: ['sensorineural hearing loss'] @entity389 :: ('MESH:D007759', 'Disease') :: ['inner-ear ganglion neurites'] @entity393 :: ('MESH:D034381', 'Disease') :: ['hearing loss'] @entity6619 :: ('MESH:D012825', 'Chemical') :: ['silicon']
@entity11710 :: (MESH:D018130,Chemical) :: ['diamond']
