Deafness News and Research

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Study links noise-induced inner ear nerve damage to endolymphatic hydrops

Exposure to loud noise, such as a firecracker or an ear-splitting concert, is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Research suggests that 12% or more of the world population is at risk for noise-induced loss of hearing.

11 Nov 2021

Retinoid therapy improves vision in mice with Usher syndrome

Using data generated from patients and mice with genetic mutation for the disorder Usher syndrome, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute, and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, documented the natural history of vision impairment in patients and identified the cell mechanism behind progressive vision loss.

9 Nov 2021

Microbiome discovery could help fight chronic middle ear infections in children

Bacteria found in children's upper respiratory systems could help fight chronic middle ear infections, the leading cause of preventable hearing loss and deafness in Indigenous communities.

8 Nov 2021

New evidence that SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect the inner ear

Many Covid-19 patients have reported symptoms affecting the ears, including hearing loss and tinnitus. Dizziness and balance problems can also occur, suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be able to infect the inner ear.

29 Oct 2021

Mouse brain atlas may help understand the complex circuits of the human brain

The circuits of the human brain contain more than 100 billion neurons, each linked to many other neurons via thousands of synaptic connections, resulting in a three-pound organ that is profoundly more complex than the sum of its innumerable parts.

7 Oct 2021

Detailed atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex will provide a springboard for future research

The NIH Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) has unveiled an atlas of cell types and an anatomical neuronal wiring diagram for the mammalian primary motor cortex, derived from detailed studies of mice, monkeys, and humans.

6 Oct 2021

Researchers identify mechanism that can lead to deafness in rare Norrie disease

A team of Mass Eye and Ear Scientists led by Albert Edge, PhD, working with research fellow Yushi Hayashi, MD, PhD, has identified the mechanism that can lead to deafness in the rare syndrome, Norrie disease.

5 Oct 2021

Bone Conduction Kit may enable children and their parents to manage glue ear effectively at home

A wireless kit, comprising headphones, a microphone, and an app might be a cheap alternative to the usual treatment of the common temporary hearing loss in kids, popularly known as 'glue ear,' finds a small study, published in the online journal BMJ Innovations.

5 Oct 2021

Mass Eye and Ear researcher receives P50 NIH grant to establish new center for neurological voice disorders

Kristina Simonyan, MD, PhD, Dr med, director of laryngology research at Mass Eye and Ear, has been awarded an $11.9 million P50 Clinical Research Center Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communicable Disorders of the National Institute of Health to form a new multidisciplinary center across four academic medical institutions that will be committed to conducting research on laryngeal dystonia and voice tremor, two debilitating neurological voice disorders.

28 Sep 2021

No papers, no care: Disabled migrants seek help through lawsuit, activism

Desperation led José Luis Hernández to ride atop a speeding train through northern Mexico with hopes of reaching the United States 13 years ago.

16 Sep 2021

Study: Smell regulates our eating habits

Walking past a corner bakery, you may find yourself drawn in by the fresh smell of sweets wafting from the front door. You're not alone: The knowledge that humans make decisions based on their noses has led major brands like Cinnabon and Panera Bread to pump the scents of baked goods into their restaurants, leading to big spikes in sales.

27 Aug 2021

Drinking, smoking throughout the first trimester of pregnancy associated with higher stillbirth risk

Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco cigarettes throughout the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with nearly three times the risk of late stillbirth (at 28 or more weeks), compared to women who neither drink or smoke during pregnancy or quit both before the end of the first trimester, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

23 Aug 2021

Subjective social status may have stronger effects on cardiovascular health of Hispanics and Latinos

Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S. who perceive themselves as having higher social status are more likely to have ideal markers of cardiovascular health, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

20 Aug 2021

New online tool launched to accelerate discoveries for reversing progressive hearing loss

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine launched a new online tool that could more quickly advance medical discoveries to reverse progressive hearing loss.

19 Jul 2021

Antihypertension drug may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2

New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear indicates that the blood pressure drug losartan may benefit patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a hereditary condition associated with vestibular schwannomas, or noncancerous tumors along the nerves in the brain that are involved with hearing and balance.

15 Jul 2021

Researchers seek to find a cure for the deadliest solid tumor in children

Australian researchers and oncologists have been awarded $2.4 million to investigate the causes and treatments for neuroblastoma, the deadliest and most common solid tumor in children under the age of five.

5 Jul 2021

Study on canine hereditary deafness may also shed light on human hereditary hearing defects

Finnish researchers have been the first to determine the cause for the nonsyndromic early-onset hereditary canine hearing loss in Rottweilers.

22 May 2021

Researchers find new clue to restore congenital hearing loss

Researchers at Oregon State University have found a key new piece of the puzzle in the quest to use gene therapy to enable people born deaf to hear.

19 May 2021

New printable device could restore sight to blind people

A researcher at the University of Sydney is developing a printable device that acts like a retina and could one day restore sight to blind people.

17 May 2021

Tympanostomy tubes have no long-term benefits for childhood ear infections

There is no long-term benefit to surgically placing tympanostomy tubes in a young child's ears to reduce the rate of recurrent ear infections during the ensuing two years compared with giving oral antibiotics to treat ear infections, a randomized trial led by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh pediatrician-scientists determined.

13 May 2021