Deafness News and Research

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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

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