Preface

**Section 3 Treatment Strategies for Hearing Loss 135**

**Clinical Applications 137**

Chapter 9 **Hearing Aids 151**

**VI** Contents

Ryota Shimokura

Borghei and Masoumeh Saeedi

Payton Lin, Yu Tsao and Li-Wei Kuo

Chapter 8 **Cochlear Implants: An Excursus into the Technologies and**

Chapter 10 **Controlling the Biocompatibility and Mechanical Effects of**

Mohammad Hossein Khosravi, Ali Kouhi, Sasan Dabiri, Pedram

**Implantable Microelectrodes to Improve Chronic Neural Recordings in the Auditory Nervous System 173**

The objective of this volume is to diffuse the information related to hearing loss, which is among the most prevalent chronic disabilities worldwide. Nowadays, it is clear that the identification and rehabilitation of hearing impairment, when possible, have to be adequate‐ ly and promptly managed because hearing loss can seriously interfere with psychosocial de‐ velopment, family dynamics, and social interactions.

This volume was made possible through the substantial contributions of 10 groups of authors.

The format of this volume is purely educational, targeting graduate courses in audiology, speech pathology and hearing science, and neurosciences and basic graduate course in oto‐ laryngology. The authors have been asked to present a generous background of their topic in the introduction section of their chapter and an extensive list of technical terms used throughout each chapter.

The volume is divided into three main sections as follows:


It was our intention to use multimedia material wherever possible, but for the majority of contributors, this was not feasible. Further developments (such as multimedia materials and updates) will probably appear on IntechOpen website (https://www.intechopen.com/).

We would personally like to thank all the contributing authors, the IntechOpen personnel, and specifically Ms. Renata Sliva and Ms. Dajana Pemac for their continuous and generous assistance during the preparation of this volume.

> **Stavros Hatzopoulos PhD and Andrea Ciorba MD PhD** Clinic of Audiology & ENT University of Ferrara, Italy

**Section 1**

**Hearing Loss and Its Etiology**
