http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/hearing_loss/ Read the latest medical research on hearing, hearing loss and related stem cell research. Could genetic hearing loss could be reversed by compensating for a missing protein? en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/hearing_loss/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092031.htm When a patient afflicted with schizophrenia hears inner voices something is taking place inside the brain that prevents the individual from perceiving real voices. A simple electronic application may help the patient learn to shift focus. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092031.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201092301.htm A new study finds new evidence that touch-sensing nerve cells may fuel tinnitus. Future treatments may target these cells. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201092301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172402.htm Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to the first study to provide biological evidence that lifelong musical experience impacts the aging process. Measuring automatic brain responses of younger and older musicians and non-musicians to speech sounds, researchers found older musicians not only outperformed older non-musicians, they also encoded sound stimuli as quickly and accurately as younger non-musicians. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142243.htm Deaf people who use sign language are quicker at recognizing and interpreting body language than hearing non-signers, according to new research. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142243.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228134852.htm Today's ubiquitous MP3 players permit users to listen to crystal-clear tunes at high volume for hours on end -- a marked improvement on the days of the Walkman. But according to new research, these advances have also turned personal listening devices into a serious health hazard, with teenagers as the most at-risk group. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228134852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219135021.htm Gene therapy may someday in the future replace the use of implants in deaf people. The carrier for this gene medicine may be derived from shrimp shells. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219135021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209105744.htm People with a certain form of inherited hearing loss have increased sensitivity to low frequency vibration, according to a new study. The research findings reveal previously unknown relationships between hearing loss and touch sensitivity. Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209105744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111202155759.htm Imagine you are playing ping-pong with a friend. Your friend makes a serve. Information about where and when the ball hit the table is provided by both vision and hearing. And this is how the senses interact in how we perceive the world. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111202155759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121132409.htm Researchers have identified two proteins that may be the key components of the long-sought after mechanotransduction channel in the inner ear -- the place where the mechanical stimulation of sound waves is transformed into electrical signals that the brain recognizes as sound. A gene-therapy trial based on this research will attempt to restore hearing in deaf mice. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121132409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021125519.htm In a summer with unprecedented weather events, from tornadoes, floods, fires and hurricanes, researchers found that physiological changes associated with aging and the presence of chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness or injury, even death, during a disaster. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021125519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080417.htm Every year millions of babies and toddlers receive general anesthesia for procedures ranging from hernia repair to ear surgery. Now, researchers have found a link among children undergoing multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia before age 2 and learning disabilities later in childhood. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926104624.htm The fact that certain smells cause us pleasure or disgust would seem to be a matter of personal taste. But new research shows that odors can be rated on a scale of pleasantness, and this turns out to be an organizing principle for the way we experience smell. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926104624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914073203.htm Precise diagnosis of disease and developmental syndromes often depends on understanding the genetics underlying them. Most cases of early onset hearing loss are genetic in origin but there are many different forms. Heretofore, it has been difficult to identify the gene responsible for the hearing loss of each affected child, because the critical mutations differ among countries and populations. New research has identified six critical mutations in Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab families. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914073203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913091557.htm A study led by Canadian researchers has found the first evidence that lifelong musicians experience less age-related hearing problems than non-musicians. While hearing studies have already shown that trained musicians have highly developed auditory abilities compared to non-musicians, this is the first study to examine hearing abilities in musicians and non-musicians across the age spectrum -- from 18 to 91 years of age. Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913091557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912144247.htm People with tinnitus -- a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears -- can take heart from a new study by neuroscientists that points to several new strategies for alleviating the problem. In experiments on rats, researchers have shown that tinnitus results from decreased inhibition in the auditory cortex. Thus, training that boosts inhibition or drugs that increase the levels of inhibitory neurotransmitter may alleviate the symptoms. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912144247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902083737.htm Loud noise, especially repeated loud noise, is known to cause irreversible damage to the hair cells inside the cochlea and eventually lead to deafness. In mammals this is irreversible. However, both birds and fish are able to re-grow the damaged hair cells and restore hearing. New research shows that growth hormone is involved in this regeneration in zebrafish. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902083737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831115946.htm A new study shows that declines in hearing ability may accelerate gray mater atrophy in auditory areas of the brain and increase the listening effort necessary for older adults to successfully comprehend speech. Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831115946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822154748.htm Skewed skulls may have helped early whales discriminate the direction of sounds in water and are not solely, as previously thought, a later adaptation related to echolocation. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822154748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110815113534.htm Hearing Beethoven while reciting Shakespeare can suppress even a King's stutter, as recently illustrated in the movie "The King's Speech". This dramatic but short-lived effect of hiding the sound of one's own speech indicates that the integration of hearing and motor functions plays some role in the fluency (or dysfluency) of speech. New research has shown that in adults who have stuttered since childhood the processes of auditory-motor integration are indeed located in a different part of the brain to those in adults who do not stutter. Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110815113534.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110718164032.htm Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with increased risk of hearing loss among adolescents, according to a new report. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110718164032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713161824.htm Improving and maintaining health factors not traditionally associated with dementia, such as denture fit, vision and hearing, may lower a person's risk for developing dementia, according to a new study. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713161824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085638.htm Researchers from the UK are investigating how to help deaf people, who have received a cochlear implant, to get more enjoyment from music. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:56:56 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623085638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622145906.htm Neuroscientists have defined, for the first time, three different processing stages that a human brain needs to identify sounds such as speech -- and discovered that they are the same as ones identified in non-human primates. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110622145906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620095236.htm New research demonstrates that general practitioners (GPs) are struggling to correctly identify people in the early stages of dementia resulting in both missed cases (false negatives) and misidentifications (false positives). Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620095236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110608081555.htm New research shows that young Swedish women are more prone than men to perceive situations as risky. However, there are no gender differences in actual risk-taking behavior. Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110608081555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601171620.htm People who are deaf benefit from better vision due to the fact their retinas develop differently, researchers in the UK have shown. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601171620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527101231.htm How can someone with perfectly normal hearing become deaf to the world around them when their mind is on something else? New research suggests that focusing heavily on a task results in the experience of deafness to perfectly audible sounds. Fri, 27 May 2011 10:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527101231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524162007.htm Treating idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss with injections of steroids directly into the ear appears to result in recovery of hearing that is not less than recovery obtained with the standard therapy of oral corticosteroids and may be a preferable treatment for some patients to avoid the potential adverse effects of oral steroids, according to a new study. Tue, 24 May 2011 16:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524162007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511170931.htm A growing body of research finds musical training gives students learning advantages in the classroom. Now a study finds musical training can benefit Grandma, too, by offsetting some of the deleterious effects of aging. Wed, 11 May 2011 17:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511170931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510175204.htm The part of the brain that uses hearing to determine sound location is reorganized in deaf animals to locate visual targets, according to a new study. Tue, 10 May 2011 17:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510175204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510121411.htm Lowering the cost of hearing aids isn't enough to motivate adults with mild hearing loss to purchase a device at a younger age or before their hearing worsens. Simply lowering the cost of hearing aids -- even by as much as 40 percent -- does not improve hearing aid purchase for patients with partial insurance coverage or those who would need to cover the entire cost out of pocket, a new study suggests. Tue, 10 May 2011 12:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510121411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110501183919.htm Researchers have discovered two mutations responsible for a devastating neurological condition they first identified 15 years ago. Sun, 01 May 2011 18:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110501183919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418152322.htm Tinnitus, a relentless ringing in the ears known to disable soldiers exposed to blasts, unwary listeners of too-loud music and millions more, is the result of under-inhibition of key neural pathways in the brain's auditory center, say scientists. The discovery could lead to effective treatment for a condition that currently has no cure. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418152322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407093118.htm Hearing the heartbeat of someone you are talking to gives the same feeling of personal contact as looking each other in the eye. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110407093118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405122324.htm Research shows that vibrations in the inner ear continue even after a sound has ended, perhaps serving as a kind of mechanical memory of recent sounds. In addition to contributing to the understanding of the complex process of sound perception, the results may shed light on other fascinating aspects of the auditory system, such as why some gaps between sounds are too brief to be perceived by the human ear. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405122324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328092508.htm Scientists have used invisible infrared light to make rat heart cells contract and toadfish inner-ear cells send signals to the brain. The discovery someday might improve cochlear implants for deafness and lead to devices to restore vision, maintain balance and treat movement disorders like Parkinson's. Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328092508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110323105207.htm New research provides the first evidence that sensory recalibration -- the brain's automatic correcting of errors made by our sensory or perceptual systems -- can occur instantly. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110323105207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161912.htm Children with chronic inflammation of the middle ear can experience changes in their sense of taste, and these changes may be related to childhood obesity, according to a new study. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161910.htm Although universal newborn hearing screening programs appear to identify children with hearing loss at a younger age, nearly one-third of pediatric cochlear implant recipients pass newborn screening only to be diagnosed later in infancy or early childhood, according to a new study. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309102150.htm Listening to loud music through earphones for extended periods in noisy surroundings can cause neurophysiological changes related to clear discrimination of sounds, even if the hearing threshold is normal, new research shows. Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309102150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225090844.htm Our willingness to listen to music is biological trait and related to the neurobiological pathways affecting social affiliation and communication, suggests a recent study. This is one of the first studies where listening to music has been explored at molecular level, and the first study to show association between arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) gene variants and listening to music. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225090844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110223124139.htm Whether on a battlefield, in a factory or at a rock concert, noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most common hazards people face. Researchers have identified a low-dose, two-drug cocktail that reduces hearing loss in mice when given before they are exposed to loud noise. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110223124139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110217083026.htm Children with chronic health conditions are 88% more likely to suffer physical abuse than healthy children and 154% more likely to suffer a combination of physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence. Researchers in Sweden analyzed 2,510 questionnaires completed anonymously by children aged ten, 12 and 15 from 44 schools. Nearly one in four had at least one chronic health condition. 12% of all the children who took part in the survey said they had been physically abused, 7% had witnessed intimate partner violence and 3% had experienced both. But when researchers looked at children with chronic illness, the figures were significantly higher for physical abuse and for physical abuse combined with intimate partner violence. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110217083026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214162933.htm Older adults with hearing loss appear more likely to develop dementia, and their risk increases as hearing loss becomes more severe, according to a new article. Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214162933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209204819.htm Stem cell scientists have found that patients suffering from hearing problems which began during infancy and childhood could benefit from a transplant of stem cells from their nose. The research reveals that mucosa-derived stem cells can help preserve hearing function during the early-onset of sensorineural hearing loss. Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209204819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208091555.htm A woman from Portsmouth has received a totally implantable hearing aid thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC), based at the University of Southampton. Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208091555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207151212.htm New research conducted with deaf people in Nicaragua shows that language may play an important role in learning the meanings of numbers. Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207151212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110125091822.htm Although tinnitus was reported as the main sleep disrupting factor, hearing impairment among workers exposed to harmful noise contributed to sleep impairment, especially to insomnia, regardless of age and years of exposure. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110125091822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121103746.htm New research has revealed that the molecular mechanism underlying deafness is caused by a mutation of a specific microRNA called miR-96. The discovery could provide the basis for treating progressive hearing loss and deafness. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121103746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120073703.htm Out of every 1000 patients, two at most wake up during their operation. Unintended awareness in the patient is thus classified as an occasional complication of anesthesia—but being aware of things happening during the operation, and being able to recall them later, can leave a patient with long-term psychological trauma. How to avoid such awareness events, and what treatment is available for a patient who does experience awareness, is the subject of a new report. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 07:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120073703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118154733.htm A new study indicates that the incidence of maltreatment, including neglect and physical and sexual abuse, is more than 25 percent higher among deaf and hard-of-hearing children than among hearing youths. The research also shows a direct correlation between childhood maltreatment and higher rates of negative cognition, depression and post-traumatic stress in adulthood. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118154733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110112132130.htm Targeted nerve stimulation could yield a long-term reversal of tinnitus, a debilitating hearing impairment affecting at least 10 percent of senior citizens and up to 40 percent of military veterans, according to a new article. Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110112132130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110112122504.htm Tinnitus appears to be produced by an unfortunate confluence of structural and functional changes in the brain, say neuroscientists. Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110112122504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110106092034.htm Driving convertible cars with the top open at speeds exceeding 88.5 kilometres per hour (55 miles per hour) may put drivers at increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss, according to new research. Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110106092034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210095530.htm Tinnitus -- what many think of as "ringing in the ears" -- is the perception of sound without any real acoustic stimulation. Sound masking therapy, a common component of tinnitus treatment, is of uncertain benefit when used on its own, a new evidence review finds. Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210095530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210075924.htm Up to 20% of professional boxers develop neuropsychiatric sequelae. But which acute complications and which late sequelae can boxers expect throughout the course of their career? Fri, 10 Dec 2010 07:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101210075924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209101515.htm Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what we're listening to. But when it comes to following our own speech, a new brain study shows that instead of one homogeneous mute button, we have a network of volume settings that can selectively silence and amplify the sounds we make and hear. Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209101515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101207121433.htm Surgery to remove tumors under the brain known as acoustic neuromas produces favorable outcomes in the "vast majority" of patients, according to one of the largest studies of its kind. Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101207121433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101201095544.htm Age-related hearing loss, one of the four most prevalent chronic conditions in the elderly, is associated with low serum levels of folic acid, according to new research. Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101201095544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124214722.htm A new treatment has been developed for sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a condition that causes deafness in 40,000 Americans each year, usually in early middle-age. Researchers describe the positive results of a preliminary trial of insulin-like growth factor 1, applied as a topical gel. Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101124214722.htm