In this formative period, establishing feasibility of intracochlear electrical stimulation as a prosthetic pathway dominated research efforts. Scientists and clinicians focused on proving that electrical stimulation could evoke hearing-like percepts, translating laboratory findings into prototype devices, and outlining early criteria for candidate selection, safety, and outcome interpretation. Animal studies supplied decisions on tissue responses and nerve survival, guiding electrode design and surgical strategies; diagnostic concepts to distinguish sensory from neural etiologies began to take shape.