Deafness News and Research

RSS

Discovery of CPD gene mutations sheds light on rare congenital hearing loss

Mutations in a gene known as CPD play a crucial role in a rare form of congenital hearing loss, an international team of researchers has discovered.

14 Oct 2025

Evaluating the link between sound quality, speech recognition and cochlear implant-related quality of life outcomes

More than a million people around the world rely on cochlear implants (CIs) to hear. CI effectiveness is generally evaluated through speech recognition tests, and despite how widespread they are, CI sound quality is typically not considered an indicator of users' quality of life.

14 Oct 2025

Genetic and behavioral link found between musicality and language skills

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery leveraged two main studies - one focused on behavior and one focused on genetics - to highlight the correlation between participants' musical rhythm abilities and developmental speech-language disorders.

3 Oct 2025

Top ten research priorities for childhood deafness identified in new UK project

Deaf children and people with experience of childhood deafness from across the UK have come together to highlight what matters most to children affected by deafness and hearing loss, as part of a project funded by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS).

19 Sep 2025

UCLA team develops engineered antibodies to fight cytomegalovirus infection

A UCLA research team has found a new way to prompt the immune system to kill cells infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a life-threatening infection that is particularly deadly in immunocompromised people.

13 Sep 2025

Biofeedback improves speech in children at a faster rate than traditional methods

Run. Red. World. Pronouncing the "r" sound in these words requires precise control of the tongue. For most children, this happens naturally, but many children struggle with residual speech sound disorder (RSSD) in which speech errors persist past the age of eight.

9 Sep 2025

As measles exploded, officials in Texas looked to CDC scientists. Under Trump, no one answered.

As measles surged in Texas early this year, the Trump administration's actions sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists that kept them from performing the agency's most critical function — emergency response — when it mattered most, an investigation from KFF Health News shows.

25 Aug 2025

Scientists decode inner speech from brain activity with high accuracy

Scientists have pinpointed brain activity related to inner speech-the silent monologue in people's heads-and successfully decoded it on command with up to 74% accuracy.

14 Aug 2025

Gene editing restores hearing and balance in adult mice with DFNA41 deafness

Zheng-Yi Chen, DPhil, associate scientist at the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, and Ines and Fredrick Yeatts Chair in Otolaryngology, at Mass Eye and Ear, is the senior and co-corresponding author of a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, "Single Dose Genome Editing Therapy Rescues Auditory and Vestibular Functions in Adult Mice with DFNA41 Deafness."

14 Aug 2025

New imaging tool measures inner ear fluid to assess hearing loss

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a tool routinely used to diagnose and plan treatment for eye diseases, has now been modified to collect images of the inner ear.

23 Jul 2025

Breakthrough gene therapy reverses genetic deafness across age groups

Using gene therapy to treat hereditary deafness is safe and effective in both children and adults, according to new findings from a multicenter clinical trial.

22 Jul 2025

Measles outbreaks surge worldwide, driven by declining immunization coverage

The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of leading human and animal virologists from 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in more than 40 countries, is sounding the alarm over a sharp resurgence of measles cases in the United States and globally.

17 Jul 2025

Harvard researchers uncover how the brain directs blood flow in real time

All day long, our brains carry out complicated and energy-intensive tasks such as remembering, solving problems, and making decisions.

16 Jul 2025

Loneliness amplifies cognitive decline in individuals with hearing loss

Isolation, communication difficulties, reduced alertness — hearing impairment or loss is a real challenge in daily life. Over time, it can also become a risk factor for cognitive decline. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) analyzed data from 33,000 older adults across Europe to examine the combined impact of hearing loss and loneliness on memory.

16 Jul 2025

Scientists discover how two distinct genes guide regeneration of sensory cells in zebrafish

While humans can regularly replace certain cells, like those in our blood and gut, we cannot naturally regrow most other parts of the body. For example, when the tiny sensory hair cells in our inner ears are damaged, the result is often permanent hearing loss, deafness, or balance problems.

14 Jul 2025

Gene therapy brings back hearing in young and adult deaf patients

Gene therapy can improve hearing in children and adults with congenital deafness or severe hearing impairment, a new study involving researchers at Karolinska Institutet reports.

3 Jul 2025

Unknown organelle discovery could open the door to new treatments for inherited diseases

The discovery of an unknown organelle inside our cells could open the door to new treatments for devastating inherited diseases.

26 Jun 2025

New imaging breakthrough sheds light on brain communication pathways

For the first time, scientists using cryo-electron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting neurons in the brain's cerebellum, which is located behind the brainstem and plays a critical role in functions such as coordinating movement, balance and cognition.

23 Jun 2025

Driving breakthroughs for the NF community at the 2025 NF Conference

A new era is unfolding for the NF community. With two FDA-approved treatments now on the market - including the first-ever therapy for adults with NF1 - and cutting-edge advances in AI, drug repositioning, and precision medicine, momentum is building like never before.

20 Jun 2025

Deaf patients face persistent communication barriers in NHS care

A majority of individuals who are deaf or have hearing loss face significant communication barriers when accessing care through the National Health Service (NHS), with nearly two-thirds of patients missing half or more of vital information shared during appointments.

7 May 2025