Bird hair cells have no problem making nerve connections again and sending signals to the brain. Yes, but not in Dr. Cotanche's lab. They are taking cells out of the ear and trying to grow them in culture. A bird from Belgium has specific hearing loss but the cells grow back defective. That is the big question everyone wants the answer to.
Cochlear implants offer the sensation of sound.
They send information directly to the auditory nerve. There are now 20,000 cochlear implant users worldwide. Many can understand speech without speechreading and some can talk on the telephone, but not all of them. Researchers are tryiing to find out why. They think it's due to the effect of deafness on the brain.