Cochlear implants: Principles & Practices describes the scientific foundations and the practices that underlie cochlear implants. This second edition has an expanded list of contributors and addresses the broad range of related topics that impact the field.
The book addresses topics within the auditory sciences, the selection of candidates, techniques of device placement and activation, and assessment of the implant as a communication tool. There is an updated orientation to basic concepts, both biological and technological to reflect the rapid evolution of implantable technologies, and review of the social and educational issues accompanying the communication change entailed by cochlear implantation.
The book places how we have reached our current information base in a historical context with a chapter on the history of cochlear implants and other references throughout many of the chapters. There are fascinating chapters on speech and language acquisition including a description of how linguistic experience affects the way that speech information is stored in memory, and on reading and deafness.
Most contributors are world authorities in speech and language and hearing sciences. Sue Archbold and Prof O’Donogue from Nottingham wrote a chapter on education and childhood deafness. All other chapters are by authors from American institutions. Prof John Niparko is the editor and contributes to several chapters.
The book is well structured. There are 25 chapters in seven sections in 345 pages of text. Colour is used in tables, figures, diagrams and line drawings, which are used to good effect in illustrating important points, concepts and research, but the few clinical photographs, which are in black and white are less clear.
The RRP is £113 and this is an excellent text for all health professionals in the field, both for those with experience – because the book is comprehensive, covering aspects from different disciplines, which provides aspects interesting and useful to clinical practice for other professionals – and as a solid text for those new to cochlear implants and reference thereafter.
