http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/hearing_loss/ Read the latest medical research on hearing, hearing loss and related stem cell research. Genetic hearing loss could be reversed by compensating for a missing protein. Full text free. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:05:01 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/2009/11/091125134655.htm It is relatively common for listeners to "hear" sounds that are not really there. In fact, it is the brain's ability to reconstruct fragmented sounds that allows us to successfully carry on a conversation in a noisy room. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091125134655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is not deafened by loud noises. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173606.htm Becoming "hard of hearing" is a standard but unfortunate part of aging: A syndrome called age-related hearing loss affects about 40 percent of people over 65 in the United States, and will afflict an estimated 28 million Americans by 2030. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research. But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher's voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm One in seven people worldwide will suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at some point. It is the most common injury arising from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and 75 pecent of 18 to 30 year-olds who go to nightclubs and concerts may experience temporary tinnitus. A research review (150 papers over 25 years) suggests that 94 percent of people are told nothing can be done. But help is at hand. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114319.htm Researchers say they have, for what is believed to be the first time, managed to measure and record the elusive electrical activity of the type II neurons in the snail-shell-like structure called the cochlea. And it turns out the cells do indeed carry signals from the ear to the brain, and the sounds they likely respond to would need to be loud, such as sirens or alarms that might be even be described as painful or traumatic. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm Researchers in Spain have observed in this first year of the study that, three months after receiving a cochlear implant all the children showed improvement in their perception and ability to detect sounds around them. Children quickly learn that the implant is a device that allows them to hear and if it is deactivated they protest or make gestures asking that it be switched back on. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134814.htm Patients who exhibited a certain genetic mutation of anti-oxidant enzymes are three times more likely to develop age-related hearing loss, according to new research. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134812.htm Drivers who frequently take to the road with the top down may be risking serious damage to their hearing, according to new research. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006134812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005111617.htm A comprehensive study of the prevalence and risk factors for noise-induced hearing loss show that men, especially those who are white and married, are significantly more at risk than women, according to new research. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005111617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091004141223.htm A new study finds that a non-invasive imaging technique can aid in the diagnosis of tinnitus and may detect a reduction in symptoms after different treatments, offering hope to the more than 50 million patients with tinnitus. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091004141223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923173952.htm MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness. The retinal prosthesis would help restore some vision by electrically stimulating the nerve cells that normally carry visual input from the retina to the brain. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923173952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163732.htm Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of progressive hearing loss. The findings will help scientists better understand the nature of age-related decline in hearing, and may lead to new therapies to prevent or treat the condition. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123319.htm A new candidate gene for Specific Language Impairment has been identified. The results point toward the likelihood of multiple genes contributing to language impairment, some of which also contribute to reading or speech impairment. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142857.htm Anyone with an MP3 device has a notion of the majesty of music, of the primal place it holds in the human imagination. But musical training should not be seen simply as stuff of the soul -- a frill that has to go when school budgets dry up, according to a new study. It is the first demonstration of musical training offsetting the deleterious effects of background noise, and the implications are provocative. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820124050.htm When the nose encounters two different scents simultaneously, the brain processes them separately through each nostril in an alternating fashion. This finding is the first demonstration of "perceptual rivalry" in the olfactory system. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820124050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182020.htm Nerve fibers that link perception and motor regions of the brain are disconnected in tone-deaf people, according to new research. Experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population may be tone deaf -- unable to sing in tune. The new finding identifies a particular brain circuit that appears to be absent in these individuals. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807141850.htm As more people live well into their 80s and 90s, it's reassuring to know that most people get happier as they age and exert more emotional control than younger adults, according to researchers. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090807141850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805150532.htm Scientists have developed a new software application to improve the noise-filtering abilities of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Hearing aids and cochlear implants act as tiny amplifiers so the deaf and hard-of-hearing can make sense of voices and music. Unfortunately, these devices also amplify background sound, so they're less effective in a noisy environment like a busy workplace or café. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805150532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090713201442.htm A child's brain has to work overtime in a noisy classroom to do its typical but very important job of distinguishing sounds whose subtle differences are key to success with language and reading. But, according to a new study, that simply is too much to ask of children whose nervous systems' have trouble transcribing "ba," "da" and "ga," three little sounds that mean so much to literacy. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090713201442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707094906.htm An implanted electronic ion pump in organic material can be used to carry signals to specific cells in the nervous system and in this way treat various illnesses. In a unique study, researchers have used the pumps to successfully manipulate the hearing in laboratory animals. The technique represents a breakthrough for the machine-to-brain interface, with opportunities for greater symbiosis between electronics and biological systems. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707094906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194227.htm New technology to hear vibrations through the skull bone has been developed. Besides investigating the function of a new implantable bone conduction hearing aid, researchers have studied the sensitivity for bone conducted sound and also examined the possibilities for a two-way communication system that is utilizing bone conduction in noisy environments. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090705.htm New research demonstrates humans' right ear preference for listening. We humans prefer to be addressed in our right ear and are more likely to perform a task when we receive the request in our right ear rather than our left. Scientists have shown that a natural side bias, depending on hemispheric asymmetry in the brain, manifests itself in everyday human behavior. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619112339.htm Recent public health studies on the US mass transit system have identified several sources of environmental hazards associated with mass transit, including excessive noise. Scientists have found that MTA subways had the highest average noise levels of all mass transit in New York City, with levels high enough to potentially increase the risk of noise induced hearing loss. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619112339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530172214.htm Hearing and vocal problems go hand-in-hand among the elderly more frequently than previously thought, according to researchers. Together, they pack a devastating double punch on communication skills and overall well-being. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090530172214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512193221.htm Older adults may have difficulty understanding speech because of age-related changes in brain tissue, according to new research. The study shows that older adults with the most difficulty understanding spoken words had less brain tissue in a region important for speech recognition. The findings may help explain why hearing aids do not benefit all people with age-related hearing difficulties. Thu, 14 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512193221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505174543.htm Scientists have discovered that the hormone estrogen plays a pivotal role in how the brain processes sounds. Wed, 06 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505174543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504211844.htm Children enrolled before they are six months old in a home-based program that teaches language skills to the deaf or hard of hearing are not only able to achieve appropriate language skills but also to maintain them over time, according to a new study. Tue, 05 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090504211844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132955.htm Scientists thought they had a good model to explain how the inner ear translates vibrations in the air into sounds heard by the brain. Now, based on new research, it looks like parts of the model are wrong. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402163717.htm Banishing a fear-inducing memory might be a matter of the right timing, according to new research. Scientists have targeted a key time when memories are ripe for change to substantially modify memories of fear into benign memories and to keep them that way. Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402163717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323161107.htm People who have osteoporosis are more likely to also have vertigo, according to a new study. Vertigo is an inner ear disorder that is a common cause of dizziness. Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323161107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318112937.htm The sense of touch allows us to make a better connection between sight and hearing and therefore helps adults to learn to read. These results should improve learning methods, both for children learning to read and adults learning foreign languages. Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318112937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324111600.htm Researchers have discovered that adult animals with hearing loss actually re-route the sense of touch into the hearing parts of the brain. Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324111600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323093129.htm Researchers have successfully isolated human auditory stem cells from fetal cochleae (the auditory portion of the inner ear) and found they had the capacity to differentiate into sensory hair cells and neurons. Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323093129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316173327.htm Researchers investigating the genetic causes of blood pressure variation have identified a previously undescribed syndrome associated with seizures, a lack of coordination, developmental delay and hearing loss. Sun, 22 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090316173327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227112311.htm Lip reading is a critical means of communication for many deaf people, but it has a drawback: Certain consonants (for example, p) can be nearly impossible to distinguish by sight alone. Tactile devices, which translate sound waves into vibrations that can be felt by the skin, can help overcome that obstacle by conveying nuances of speech that can't be gleaned from lip reading. Now researchers are working on a new generation of such devices. Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090227112311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218135054.htm A new study involving iPods and teenagers indicates teenagers who receive pressure from their peers or others to turn down the volume of their iPods instead turn them up higher. Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218135054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226082517.htm Early screening and treatment for infants with hearing problems, and the ability to computer-generate musical scores, are two very different possible outcomes of some "off-the-wall" research. Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226082517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090302091231.htm People who suffer from rare disorders may feel that they are left to face their problems alone. Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090302091231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212094110.htm When our ears are exposed to very loud sounds, such as the blast of a firecracker, too much of a neurotransmitter is released, damaging these auditory nerve cells and causing hearing loss. Researchers have found that auditory nerve cells temporarily reduce the expression of a key neurotransmitter receptor on their surfaces when exposed to loud noise. Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212094110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212093549.htm Older adults often have trouble understanding what someone is saying when surrounded by background noise, such as at a restaurant or party, but their ears may not be the only problem. Researchers are studying how much the brain plays a role as well. Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212093549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212094359.htm The cochlear implant is a remarkable technology that helps people with severe hearing loss to understand speech, even when on the telephone. Listening to music, however -- even a simple melody -- remains difficult for many implant wearers. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212094359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211082354.htm The ability to empathize with others is partially determined by genes, according to new research on mice. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090211082354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204165913.htm Ringing, whining, whistling, hissing or whooshing. Any of those sounds in one or both ears when there is no external noise present could be a sign of tinnitus. Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204165913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128132654.htm Surgeons have started using a new micro-laser, which uses light energy in place of a cutting tool to remove complicated brain and spine tumors. The technique offers greater precision and efficiency during surgery, reducing the incision size, surgery time and patient recovery period following surgery. Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128132654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174126.htm Whether the soundtrack of your youth was doo-wop or disco, new wave or Nirvana, psychology research shows that even just thinking about a particular song can evoke vivid memories of the past. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121174126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113203901.htm High caffeine consumption could be linked to a greater tendency to hallucinate, a new research study suggests. Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113203901.htm