Deafness News and Research

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Millions of Americans continue to risk losing their hearing each day, warns audiologist

May is Better Hearing Month, but millions of Americans are continuing to needlessly risk losing their hearing each day, warns audiologist Dr. Cindy Beyer. "Almost all hearing loss is due to the aging process or to noise, but only noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented," says Dr. Beyer, senior vice president of HearUSA, a nationwide provider of hearing care and hearing aids.

18 May 2010

Stanford researchers make hair-cell-like cells in a petri dish

Deep inside the ear, specialized cells called hair cells detect vibrations in the air and translate them into sound. Ten years ago, Stefan Heller, PhD, professor of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, came up with the idea that if you could create these cells in the laboratory from stem cells, it would go a long way toward helping scientists understand the molecular basis of hearing in order to develop better treatments for deafness.

14 May 2010

Over time some people may experience NIHL

Driving in traffic, mowing the lawn, playing an instrument, listening to an MP3 player, going to the movies, concerts or athletic games - all the types of noise people experience day after day. Each activity by itself might not be enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss but add it all up and over time some people may experience hearing loss.

4 May 2010

Hormone-like inner ear signaling system protects against noise-induced hearing loss

An in vivo study shows for the first time that there is a stress-response system within the cochlea that mirrors the signaling pathways of the body's fight or flight response. Researchers have identified a hormone-like signaling system of the inner ear that sets baseline hearing sensitivity and helps protect against noise-induced hearing loss.

4 May 2010

Exposure to dust after WTC collapse impairs ability to detect odors and sense irritants

Individuals involved in rescue, recovery, demolition, and clean-up after the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on September 11, 2001, were exposed to a complex mixture of airborne smoke, dust, combustion gases, acid mists, and metal fumes. The impact of this exposure on responders' upper and lower respiratory function has been well documented, but little is known about its impact on their sensitivity to odor and irritants.

19 Apr 2010

Researchers discover link between protein structure and hearing process

Rising from the top surface of each of the specialized receptor cells in our inner ears is a bundle of sensory cilia that responds to the movement of sound. As sensitive as they are fragile, these cilia can move to wisps of sound no larger than a molecule-but can shear at sounds that are larger than life.

17 Apr 2010

Embryos with two mums to remove the risk of hereditary diseases: new research

New research published in the journal Nature, could pave the way to world’s first genetically modified human baby. The research involves making embryos with genes from one man and two women. There are hundreds or families around the world who are left childless or have serious ill babies because they carry genes for hereditary illnesses. This research may bring hope to such couples. According to scientists on the team, within the next three years these women will be able to avail such techniques. There has been skepticism regarding ethical issues attached to making of “designer babies”.

16 Apr 2010

Universal screening test for CMV infection is not effective, says study

DNA analysis of dried blood samples routinely collected from newborns did not effectively identify an infection that is a major cause of hearing loss in children, according to a study in the April 14 issue of JAMA.

15 Apr 2010

Scientists uncover new genes responsible for cancer, deafness

From deep within the genomes of organisms as diverse as plants, worms and yeast, scientists have uncovered new genes responsible for causing human diseases such as cancer and deafness.

15 Apr 2010

Resurgence of mumps orchitis among teenage boys and young men

Urologists at a leading Irish hospital have reported an alarming increase in the number of teenage boys and young men developing mumps orchitis, in a paper published in the April issue of the urology journal BJUI.

30 Mar 2010

Committee recommends inclusion of genetic diseases in newborn screening program

The experts who make recommendations for genetic disease screening in newborns face a challenging task: To make conclusions based on the most authoritative available evidence, while considering gaps in the research on such rare conditions, as well as their human impact. An overview of the steps followed by the expert panels tasked with making these recommendations is presented in a special section of the current issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

25 Mar 2010

Tel Aviv University investigates cause and effects of SCA syndrome

Sudden Cardiac Arrest syndrome (SCA) is poorly understood, but it's a real danger for the otherwise young and healthy. For no apparent reason, the heart suddenly stops beating, and without treatment death may follow within minutes. It's why some athletes drop dead on the track and why a young man, without any warning, suddenly dies while sitting at his desk.

11 Mar 2010

Researchers launch new project to diagnose and treat dementia among Deaf people who use BSL

Researchers have launched a unique project to improve early diagnosis and management of dementia among Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL).

From The University of Manchester 3 Mar 2010

Taking zinc supplements reduces otitis media in healthy children: No clear evidence

A new Cochrane review did not find clear evidence that taking zinc supplements reduces the occurrence of middle ear infections or otitis media in healthy children.

18 Feb 2010

Bone-anchored hearing aids appear to be durable treatment option for single-sided deafness

Surgically implanted hearing aids anchored to the skull bone appear to be a durable treatment option that noticeably improves hearing among children with deafness in one ear, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

16 Feb 2010

New research solves mystery behind speech disorder

The mystery behind a complex disorder called stuttering became a little clearer today with the announcement of the discovery of three genes for stuttering by Dennis Drayna, Ph.D., a director of the Stuttering Foundation and researcher for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

11 Feb 2010

Autism Speaks: Ten most significant autism research achievements in 2009

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization has released its annual list of the 10 most significant research achievements to have impacted autism during the previous year. Every year, Autism Speaks documents the progress made toward its mission to discover the causes and treatment for autism spectrum disorders, and compiles a list of the 10 most significant research achievements to have impacted autism during the previous year.

10 Feb 2010

Mutation in alpha tectorin gene causes progressive childhood deafness

Deafness is the most common disorder of the senses. Tragically, it commonly strikes in early childhood, severely damaging an affected child's ability to learn speech and language. In many cases, children gradually lose their hearing to become profoundly deaf over a long period of months to years, but scientists know very little about how this progressive loss happens, making prospects for prevention and cure very slim.

8 Feb 2010

HTDS evaluates business proposal ahead of dividend distribution

Hard to Treat Diseases (HTDS; http://www.htdsmedical.com/) subsidiary Slavica Bio Chem recently announced entry into the stem cell bank development. An unsolicited business proposal is currently being evaluated by the company from an obstetrician type medical company. This company is engaged in a treatment for pre-term labor and induction of labor. These symptoms affect millions of people worldwide.

23 Jan 2010

Caffeine abstinence: An ineffective and potentially distressing tinnitus therapy

New research has found giving up caffeine does not relieve tinnitus and acute caffeine withdrawal might add to the problem. This is the first study of its kind to look at the effect of caffeine consumption on tinnitus.

13 Jan 2010