Cochlear Implants An Update

Introduction On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the Third Congress of Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implant and Related Sciences (3rd APSCI), I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the attendants at the meeting, as well as to the contributors to these Proceedings. As most of you will have realized, the meeting was a great success both from a scientific as well as a social point of view. Almost four hundred attendants from 25 countries gathered in the Osaka Convention Hall. The program consisted of three parallel workshops spanning one and a half days, and three full days of scientific sessions. The weather was ideal, and our guests were able to see the cherry trees in full blossom and to enjoy their fill of Japanese culture. We have great pleasure in sending you your copy of the Proceedings of the 3rd APSCI, which contains all the updated information and state-of-the-art knowledge on cochlear implants and implantable hearing devices. As is indicated in the title of the meeting, this book covers many areas that are of scientific interest to us. The articles cover subjects ranging from surgical issues with regard to cochlear implantation, to basic studies on the auditory system, developmental studies in children, communication skills, speech, and education, etc. In addition, the reader will observe that some of the articles are related to implantable middle ear devices, a subject which was not covered in the proceedings of the 1st and 2nd APSCI meetings. The editors sincerely hope that this book will contribute to the development of cochlear implants and middle ear devices. Takeshi Kubo, MD President, 3rd APSCI