Deafness News and Research

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FSU neuroscientist wins grant to study temperature's impact on salt taste

A Florida State University neuroscientist has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how a food or drink's temperature affects the way our brains process the taste of salt, a neural mechanism that plays a significant role in shaping eating behaviors and nutrition habits.

3 Nov 2026

Hunger may drive the propensity to develop alcohol addiction

Researchers at Brown University have discovered a molecular link between hunger and the formation of "reward" memories that play a role in alcohol addiction.

20 Oct 2026

Precise phenotyping improves genetic prediction of sensorineural hearing loss

A team of hearing specialists at Vanderbilt Health analyzed thousands of data samples in the institution’s BioVU biobank to understand genetic susceptibility of sensorineural hearing loss, which is caused by damage to the inner ear.

8 Oct 2026

Deafness prompts brain rewiring to enhance peripheral vision

The brains of people who are deaf from an early age re-wire to see more of what is happening in their visual periphery, new research has revealed.

17 Sep 2026

Morning speech therapy benefits young people with childhood apraxia

For young people with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a disorder that affects the brain's ability to plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech, speech difficulties can persist well beyond childhood.

16 Sep 2026

New brain computer interface restores simultaneous speech and physical gestures

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded scientific team has shown that a new brain-computer interface (BCI) can allow people with vocal tract and bodily paralysis to convey both speech and upper-body gestures simultaneously.

15 Sep 2026

Older brains' language processing network remains resilient to aging

As people age, many cognitive functions tend to decline. Brain scanning studies have revealed corresponding changes in the function of a brain network that is involved in many of these cognitive functions, including working memory and problem-solving.

24 Aug 2026

USC researcher wins NIH grant to study how the cochlea processes complex sounds

USC researcher Karolina Charaziak, PhD, has been awarded a $3.3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Project (R01) grant to study how the cochlea, the part of the inner ear responsible for hearing, processes complex sounds encountered in everyday life.

7 Jul 2026

Telepractice resilience program helps stuttering children build coping skills

A new University of Mississippi-led study suggests that a telepractice resilience program may help children who stutter develop coping and self-advocacy skills.

7 Jul 2026

Onion-loving gene linked to lower diabetes and blood pressure risk

Imagine if a doctor could look at your DNA and predict not just your disease risk, but also which foods you're drawn to – and whether those cravings are quietly protecting you.

17 Jun 2026

New study identifies brain circuit behind TMS’s antidepressant effects

A circuit that runs from the prefrontal cortex near the front of the brain to a deeper brain structure called the insular cortex appears to mediate the antidepressant effects of a newer form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

9 Jun 2026

Brain controlled hearing technology helps people isolate voices in crowds

Scientists at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute have the first direct evidence from human studies that brain-controlled hearing technology can help people single out a voice in a crowd.

11 May 2026

Severe strokes significantly increase the risk of progressive dementia

As stroke severity increases, the risk of progressive cognitive decline and dementia substantially escalates, according to a national study led by Michigan Medicine researchers.

23 Apr 2026

New gene therapy improves hearing in patients with rare genetic deafness

A new international study co-led by investigators from Mass General Brigham and the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University shows that a gene therapy for a rare form of genetic deafness successfully restored hearing in most participants, with results lasting up to 2.5 years.

23 Apr 2026

Study reveals unexpected role of TMC proteins in deafness

Proteins long known to be essential for hearing have been hiding a talent: they also act as gatekeepers that shuffle fatty molecules across cell membranes.

22 Feb 2026

Early interventions help nonspeaking autistic children achieve speech gains

After receiving evidence-based early interventions, roughly two-thirds of non-speaking kids with autism speak single words, and approximately half develop more complex language, according to a new study led by researchers at Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.

22 Jan 2026

Native Americans are dying from pregnancy. They want a voice to stop the trend.

Just hours after Rhonda Swaney left a prenatal appointment for her first pregnancy, she felt severe pain in her stomach and started vomiting.

15 Jan 2026

High-dose rifampicin does not improve survival in tuberculosis meningitis

Each year, 11 million people worldwide develop tuberculosis, and about 1.4 million die from it. Meningitis occurs in 1–2% of patients and is the most severe complication of tuberculosis, arising when the bacteria reach the brain.

17 Dec 2025

Genetic insights into vestibular system damage from ototoxic drugs

The vestibular system is responsible for the sense of balance in the inner ear. Prolonged use of toxic substances, such as certain antibiotics or anticancer drugs, can damage the hair cells that form part of this system, leading to alterations in balance and other motor skills.

31 Oct 2025

International experts publish guidelines on the administration of gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss

Up to 60% of congenital and early-onset hearing loss is caused by genetic mutations in an inherited gene, and gene therapy has recently emerged as a potential treatment option.

23 Oct 2025