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New genetic test provides rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Newcastle researchers have developed a genetic test providing a rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders to identify the first patients with inherited mutations in a new disease gene.

7 Jul 2016

New book provides more insight into diagnosis and research of hereditary hearing loss

Genetics of Deafness offers a journey through areas crucial for understanding the causes and effects of hearing loss.

7 Jul 2016

Scientists explore why some kids respond better to cochlear implants than others

Four-year-old William Wootton was born profoundly deaf, but thanks to cochlear implants fitted when he was about 18 months old, the Granite Bay preschooler plays with a keyboard synthesizer and reacts to the sounds of airplanes and trains, while still learning American Sign Language.

1 Jul 2016

Researchers investigate why N14Y, N14K mutations have distinct effects in KID syndrome patients

A team of New York-based researchers has compared the effects of two disease-causing mutations, potentially explaining why patients with the rare genetic disorder keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome can experience different sets of symptoms.

28 Jun 2016

Unlocking the first gene to cause otosclerosis: an interview with Dr Ralph Holme

Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing loss, particularly amongst young adults. It normally starts in their 20s or 30s and it affects about 1 in 200 hundred people. In the UK, about 300,000 people are affected by the condition.

7 Jun 2016

ITM researchers develop small, user-friendly device for real time detection of arrhythmias

Researchers at the Technological Institute of Morelia in Mexico, created a device for detecting cardiac arrhythmias in real time, and that turns portable a system that uses electrodes placed on the chest of the patient or as part of clothing (shirt), plus it allows to alert the physician at the same time there is an irregularity in the heartbeat.

20 May 2016

Action on Hearing Loss funds new study to discover ways of preventing deafness caused by cancer drug

A widely used anti-cancer drug, cisplatin, can cause permanent and severe hearing loss, having a devastating impact on the quality of life for cancer survivors.

19 May 2016

Researchers use high-power prisms to design new eyeglasses to expand visual fields of hemianopia patients

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have designed three new eyeglasses using high-power prisms to optimally expand the visual fields of patients with hemianopia, a condition in which the visual fields of both eyes are cut by half.

18 May 2016

New discovery on brain plasticity could help develop biomarkers for SSD treatment

A new discovery could help people suffering with single-sided deafness (SSD) find a treatment quicker - and could potentially lead to a cure.

12 May 2016

Innovative noise reduction technology SEDA helps tackle babble signals from cochlear implants

Wearers of cochlear implants and hearing aids often have difficulty teasing out what someone is saying over "babble" -- the cacophony of other talkers -- and other ambient sounds. New York University researchers have devised a novel solution: an algorithmic approach that, like making drinkable water from pond water, distills the talker's voice from a turbid wash of noise.

4 May 2016

First small molecule targeted therapy holds promise for Usher syndrome

Usher syndrome (USH) is characterized by hearing loss or deafness at birth and progressive vision loss, and is the most common cause of inherited dual sensory deficit. No treatment is currently available to stop or slow the progression of vision or hearing loss in USH3, one of three clinical classifications for USH that are further divided into subtypes and all associated with different genes.

27 Apr 2016

Differences in timing of stem cells turning into cartilage play major role in shaping the face

Timing is everything when it comes to the development of the vertebrate face. In a new study published in PLoS Genetics, USC Stem Cell researcher Lindsey Barske from the laboratory of Gage Crump and her colleagues identify the roles of key molecular signals that control this critical timing.

25 Apr 2016

Newly developed smartphone application may potentially benefit low-vision users

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have developed a smartphone application that projects a magnified smartphone screen to Google Glass, which users can navigate using head movements to view a corresponding portion of the magnified screen. They have shown that the technology can potentially benefit low-vision users, many of whom find the smartphone's built-in zoom feature to be difficult to use due to the loss of context. Their results are published online in the journal IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.

25 Apr 2016

Mouse model offers insight into molecular, neurological basis of stuttering

Mice that vocalize in a repetitive, halting pattern similar to human stuttering may provide insight into a condition that has perplexed scientists for centuries, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the National Institutes of Health.

16 Apr 2016

Investigators find tacrolimus to be very effective in reducing ocular symptoms of GVHD

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have conducted a clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of topical tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive therapy, and topical methylprednisolone, a steroid medication, in patients with ocular graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) -- a complication associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplants in which the transplanted immune system's cells attack certain parts of the recipient's body, including the cornea and ocular surface.

16 Apr 2016

Research suggests new pathway for preventing optic nerve damage in KPro recipients

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have identified inflammatory factors that cause optic neuropathy in the back of the eye following implantation of a keratoprosthesis (KPro) — similar to what glaucoma patients experience, without the rise of pressure in the eye — and have shown that blocking one of those factors, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), successfully halts the development of optic nerve damage in a mouse model.

11 Apr 2016

Deafness News and Research

New genetic test provides rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

New book provides more insight into diagnosis and research of hereditary hearing loss

Scientists explore why some kids respond better to cochlear implants than others

Researchers investigate why N14Y, N14K mutations have distinct effects in KID syndrome patients

Unlocking the first gene to cause otosclerosis: an interview with Dr Ralph Holme

ITM researchers develop small, user-friendly device for real time detection of arrhythmias

Action on Hearing Loss funds new study to discover ways of preventing deafness caused by cancer drug

Researchers use high-power prisms to design new eyeglasses to expand visual fields of hemianopia patients

New discovery on brain plasticity could help develop biomarkers for SSD treatment

Innovative noise reduction technology SEDA helps tackle babble signals from cochlear implants

First small molecule targeted therapy holds promise for Usher syndrome

Differences in timing of stem cells turning into cartilage play major role in shaping the face

Newly developed smartphone application may potentially benefit low-vision users

Mouse model offers insight into molecular, neurological basis of stuttering

Investigators find tacrolimus to be very effective in reducing ocular symptoms of GVHD

Research suggests new pathway for preventing optic nerve damage in KPro recipients

NIH-funded study aims to improve health of deaf and hard-of-hearing population

Moderate drinking not linked to longer life, study shows

Anticancer drug restores hearing in neurofibromatosis patients

Enhanced diet helps slow progression of hereditary deafness

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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