Hearing Loss vs. Dizziness: If I Could Choose!

By John V. Brigande, Ph.D.

I was about 9 when hearing loss in my left ear was first detected. The audiologist explained to me that as a result, I may not be able to hear birds singing as easily, and that I may need to concentrate more to understand words starting with “sh,” “k,” or “t.” Sensing my alarm, she tried to reassure me by saying it was unlikely that the hearing loss would affect both ears, and if it did, it would likely not be to the same extent.

Managing the loss of a primary sense is all about adaptation. In grade school, I simply tilted my right ear toward sound sources. Over time my hearing loss became bilateral and progressive, and its cause remains unknown. In graduate school I began using hearing aids and later received a cochlear implant in my left ear. I continue to use a hearing aid in my right ear, and thankfully for the past eight years, my hearing has remained stable, if stably poor.

I have always compensated. At Boston College (where I received my undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D., all in the biological sciences) I sat in the front seat of my classes, as close to the speaker as possible. I asked my professors and classmates to face me when they spoke so I could use visual cues to enhance oral comprehension. During postdoctoral training in auditory neuroscience at Purdue University, I was given complimentary assistive listening technology upon my arrival to the lab.

While I do not consider my hearing loss to be a profound limitation personally or professionally, it has certainly sculpted my career path. When picking my area of scientific focus, I settled on a career in auditory neuroscience to better understand hearing loss.

I also reasoned that the auditory research conferences and meetings I’d be attending would likely have assistive listening technology to allow me to participate more fully. I have benefited immeasurably from the scientific community that makes up the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, whose meetings have world-class assistive listening technologies and interpreter services plus overwhelming support of members who have hearing loss.

As I entered my 40s, I experienced vertigo for the first time. The clinical data do not fit with a diagnosis of Ménière’s disease, and the link between my vertigo and hearing loss is unclear.

When I have an acute attack of dizziness, my visual field scrolls from right to left very quickly so that I must close my eyes to avoid profound motion sickness and vomiting. I must lie down until the dizziness subsides, which is usually 12 to 16 hours. I honestly cannot do anything—I can only hope to fall asleep quickly.

Vertigo is a profound limitation for me. With no disrespect or insensitivity intended toward the hearing impaired community—of which I am a passionate member—I would take hearing loss over vertigo in a heartbeat. Dizziness incapacitates me, and I cannot be an effective researcher, educator, husband, or father. Some people perceive an aura before their dizziness occurs, but I do not get any advance warning. Unlike hearing loss, I cannot manage my dizziness—it takes hold and lets go when it wants to.

I recall one episode especially vividly. I was invited to give a seminar at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Disorders (NIDCD) and experienced a severe attack just hours before my flight. Vertigo forced me to reschedule my visit, which was tremendously frustrating. That night, I slept in the bathroom (my best solution when vertigo hits). Vestibular (balance) dysfunction is quite simply a game changer.   

A satisfying part of my research involves trying to define treatments for hearing loss and dizziness. Usher syndrome is a condition combining hearing, balance, and vision disorders. In Usher syndrome type 1, infants are born deaf and have severe vestibular problems; vision abnormalities appear by around age 10. In working with a group of dedicated colleagues at various institutions, we have evidence that fetal administration of a drug in mice with Usher syndrome type 1 can prevent balance abnormalities.

As part of HHF’s Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) consortium, I have been working on testing gene candidates in mice for their ability to trigger hair cell regeneration. This research is exciting as it is leading the HRP into phase 2 of its strategic plan, with phase 3 involving further testing for drug therapies. The probability is that manipulating a single gene will not provide lasting hearing restoration, and that we will need to figure out how to manipulate multiple genes in concert to achieve the best therapeutic outcomes.
It is an exciting time to be a neuroscientist interested in trying to find ways to help patients with hearing loss and balance issues. I am hopeful that we will make progress in defining new ways to treat and even prevent vertigo in the near future and ultimately to discover a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus.

Hearing Restoration Project consortium member John V. Brigande, Ph.D., is a developmental neurobiologist at the Oregon Hearing Research Center. He also teaches in the Neuroscience Graduate Program and in the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Oregon Health & Science University.

Your financial support will help ensure we can continue this vital research in order to find a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus in our lifetime. Please donate today to fund the top scientific minds working collaboratively toward a common goal.For more information or to make a donation, email us at development@hhf.org. 

Your help provides hope.

New Mexico State University (NMSU) professor receives prestigious grant for research on children's hearing

By New Mexico State University NewsCenter

Srikanta Mishra, an assistant professor in the New Mexico State University College of Education’s Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, and 2014 Emerging Research Grantee, recently received a prestigious research grant to study hearing mechanisms in children.

The R03 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health is the college’s first NIH grant, which is known to be highly competitive and supports outstanding research. It provides a total amount of $438,000 for three years.

Mishra said the grant signifies the research capacity of the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, and showcases the cutting-edge hearing health research conducted at NMSU.

The project will investigate auditory mechanisms in children, particularly how the descending hearing pathway works in children.

“The descending efferent neural pathway runs from the brain to the inner ear. The results of this project will help us understand the role of the efferent system in auditory perception during childhood development,” Mishra said. “The knowledge gained from this project can be applied to develop tools to identify children at risk for auditory deficits and guide intervention efforts for children with listening problems.”

Mishra called the grant “one of the major the pinnacles of my academic career thus far. This will also expose NMSU students from minority and underprivileged backgrounds to high-quality health research.”

Robert Wood, interim academic head of the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, called Mishra’s research “critical” to both NMSU and audiology in general.

“First, and most importantly, his work has the potential to advance the field of audiology, which is why the National Institutes for Health is funding the work,” Wood said. “In addition to that, this funded project is really the first of its kind here at NMSU, and this will put the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders as well as the College of Education on the map with federal funding agencies and in the field of audiology. This is a very big deal for us and for NMSU.”

Mishra earned his doctorate in audiology from the University of Southampton, England. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. Mishra holds a clinical competence certificate in audiology from the American Speech Language & Hearing Association and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. He also maintains a license as an audiologist in New Mexico.

In the past, Mishra has also received funding from the Hearing Health Foundation to support his research in otoacoustic emissions and pediatric audiology. Mishra serves on review panel for several scientific journals in audiology and hearing sciences and also serves on a NIH study section. For his editorial contributions, he received the 2013 Journal of the American Academy of Audiology Editor’s Award.

Information from NMSU.

We need your help supporting innovative hearing and balance science through our Emerging Research Grants program. Please make a contribution today.

Professor seeks to improve diagnosis process of Meniere's disease

Dr. Wafaa Kaf, professor of audiology, has spent many of her 10 years at Missouri State researching ways to evaluate the hearing of these challenging populations.

Vertigo, dizziness, a sense of ear fullness and ringing in the ears are all symptoms for a variety of illnesses, like migraine. According to Dr. Wafaa Kaf, professor of audiology in the communication sciences and disorders department at Missouri State University, these symptoms may not immediately raise a red flag to a patient with Ménière's disease, and that’s one of the major challenges of this disease.

“There are two challenges with this disease,” said Kaf. “We can’t diagnose it as early as we want because current diagnosis is only based on clinical reports from the patient without the use of objective measures to confirm clinical diagnosis, and thus appropriate treatment isn’t offered soon enough. In addition, there is no known definite cause for it.”

According to Kaf, Ménière's disease is a common disease of the inner ear affecting adults in their fourth decade of life. The disease is believed to be due to an abnormal increase in the amount of the inner ear fluid. If left untreated, this progressive disease may lead to deafness.

Improving the diagnosis process

The current technique for objective diagnosis of Ménière's disease is Electrocochleography, but Kaf knows that it lacks sensitivity to accurately detect Ménière's disease in its early stage. She wants to improve the diagnosis process to understand the origin of the disease and its long-term effects.

Currently to test patients, an electrode is placed behind the ear and another in the ear canal. Clicking sounds will be presented to the patient’s ear via earphone and the system will record responses from the inner ear and the hearing nerve, which will be analyzed by an audiologist. The diagnosis is based on whether there is an abnormally large response from the inner ear compared to the hearing nerve response.

“My research is to modify the current technique to allow it to detect the disease earlier by presenting the click sounds at faster rates of up to 500 clicks per second,” said Kaf.

She explained that this increased speed is a stressor to the inner ear and the hearing nerve similar to a doctor putting a patient with heart condition on a treadmill while undergoing an echocardiogram (EKG). The stress during an EKG allows physicians to detect early dysfunction of the heart. In Kaf’s research, the modification to the current measure has the potential to detect Ménière's disease and distinguish it from other inner ear or nerve lesions.

Participate in the study

Kaf and her research team are recruiting people who have been recently diagnosed with Ménière's to participate in a three-hour long study, testing is being conducted at Dr. Kaf's lab at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Participants will be compensated $75 and will also receive free comprehensive hearing evaluations to assess hearing sensitivity and middle ear status as well as inner ear and nerve function using both the standard and the modified, experimental procedures.

To participate in the study, contact Kaf’s research assistant, Alana Kennedy, audiology doctoral student, at (417) 860-2556 or contact Kaf at (417) 836-4456 or via email wafaakaf@missouristate.edu.

Kaf has received generous funding for this research study from the Hearing Health Foundation.

Spotlight On: Stefan Heller, Ph.D.

By Stefan Heller, Ph.D.

CURRENT INSTITUTION: 

Stanford University

EDUCATION:

Studied Biology at the University of Mainz, Germany

Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany

Postdoc at The Rockefeller University, New York, NY

We are grateful for your interest in Hearing Health Foundation (HHF). Through Spotlight On, HHF aims to connect our supporters and constituents to its Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) consortium researchers. We hope this feature helps you get to know the life and work of the leading researchers working collaboratively in pursuit of a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus

What is your area of focus? 

My laboratory seeks to understand how a small patch of embryonic cells forms the inner ear, particularly the sensory hair cells of the cochlea and vestibular organs. We are also very interested in the biology of supporting cells, which in chickens have the ability to regenerate lost hair cells. Another research interest of ours is the use of stem cells to generate inner ear cells “from scratch.”

Why did you decide to pursue scientific research? 

As a kid, I convinced my parents to buy me a chemistry lab kit. On numerous occasions the basement needed to be evacuated because of nasty fumes that filled the room. This experience probably gave me an edge when studying science in school, where I had encouraging teachers who inspired interest in neuroscience and genetics. I realized that science provides an endless playing field to connect basic discoveries to the development of useful applications.

Why hearing research? 

Serendipity! My Ph.D. thesis focused on how nerve cells are affected by so-called neurotrophic factors. This field of research was popular in the early 1990s because it promised to lead to cures for disorders such as ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. With many researchers already working on finding cures for these conditions, I believed a cure was right around the corner and I’d be out of a job quickly. So I looked for a new challenge and found the laboratory of Jim Hudspeth, an HHF Emerging Research Grantee in 1979 and 1980, whose research focuses on inner ear hair cells. Five minutes with Jim and I was hooked.

What do you enjoy doing when not in the lab?

I enjoy renovating our family’s 65-year-old midcentury modern house one step at a time. After 10 years, I am about half done. I also enjoy camping trips with my wife and dog; we like hiking and being off the grid to recharge our batteries.

If you weren’t a scientist, what would you have done?

I’ve always felt that research is the best fit for me. I like modern architecture, and although I am not necessarily talented in drawing, I might have liked to do something in that field.

What do you find to be most inspirational?

Interacting with creative people and living in the Bay Area, a region where innovation is cherished and rewarded. All of my mentors have one important trait in common, and that is generosity. They were generous in volunteering their time to discuss wild ideas and scientific problems, giving me resources to explore and experiment. I try to apply this principle to my laboratory group as well.

Hearing Restoration Project

What has been a highlight from the HRP consortium collaboration?

The most valuable aspect of the HRP is that we get together as a group and talk about experiments, approaches, and the problems at hand. There are not many researchers focusing on hearing restoration, so bringing them together frequently is very helpful. We meet twice a year in person and once a month via conference calls, which is optimal for fruitful discussions. Having unlimited access to this talented group brings a lot of value.

How has the collaborative effort helped your research?

Without the HRP, I would not have started to focus on chicken hair cell regeneration. The collaborative approach, made possible through funding from HHF, has helped us to implement novel tools and the latest technology. Combining resources and technologies strengthens our research and expedites projects that help us reach our goal to find a cure for human hearing loss and tinnitus.

What do you hope to have happen with the HRP over the next year? Two years? Five years?

I envision that we will have started to fill in some of these missing components and that we have identified ways to reactivate hair cell regeneration in the mammalian cochlea. I also hope that people connected to the cause, such as individuals living with hearing loss and HHF’s generous supporters, remain patient, because science takes time in order to reach a desired result. We are working on a very complicated problem, and with each new discovery we find new roadblocks that need to be eliminated. I dream of the day when these roadblocks are all gone and we do not encounter new ones. This will be the day we realistically can expect a cure.

What is needed to help make HRP goals happen?

Ongoing funding. HHF is currently supporting research projects at a dozen laboratories, and increased funding per laboratory would allow for even more research to be conducted. HRP researchers benefit from sharing knowledge and small collaborations, but I feel that large-scale concerted efforts and sustained funding are essential to make the HRP’s goals a reality. Hopefully one of the currently funded, small-scale, concerted collaborations will lead to a “eureka” moment that will allow us to leapfrog directly to testing new drugs. Finally, patience is a must! Combined, all of the laboratories working on finding cures for hearing loss and tinnitus totals fewer than 500 researchers worldwide. It is a small field with limited resources, but I am very encouraged about the progress we’ve made so far.

Empower the Hearing Restoration Project's life-changing research. If you are able, please make a contribution today.

Promoting Research to Improve Hearing Health - Seven Questions - ARMY Magazine - Dec 2015

Promoting Research to Improve Hearing Health

ClaireSchultzistheCEOofHearing Health Foundation (HHF), a 501(c)(3) tax- exempt organization committed to ensuring the public—especially service members, veterans and their families—have the opportunity to enjoy life without hearingloss and tinnitus.

1. What is Hearing Health Foundation’s mission?
   
   HHF’s mission is to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus through groundbreaking research, and to promotehearing health. Through our Hearing Restoration Project, we are working on a biological cure for hearing loss and tinnitus for millions of Americans—including hundreds of thousands of military service members and veterans.
   

2. What military-specific initiatives has HHF worked on?
   
   In 2012, we joined the DoD’s Hearing Center of Excellence as a partner through general outreach, radio programs and co-authored articles. We share many of the same goals in raising awareness, providing resources and information, and continually improving the health and quality of life of service members and veterans.
   
   In 2014, HHF launched an online campaign geared toward veterans to provide information and resources about tinnitus treatments and the Hearing Restoration Project’s efforts, and including links to expert content in our magazine and to other hearing and veteran-related organizations and associations. [Visit http://hearinghealthfoundation.org/veterans.]
   
   Pharmaceutical intervention for hearing loss is a major research area for the military.
   

3. Some military members feel hesitant about seeking treatment for hearing-related issues. What does HHF do to mitigate that stigma?
   
   Service members may feel stigmatized about seeking treatment for their hearing problems because there are many myths and misconceptions about people with hearing loss. At HHF, we provide factual information as well as resources to help reduce the stigma of hearing loss, and to encourage getting treatment as soon as possible.
   

4. Do many service members regard hearing loss as a “badge of honor”?
   
   HHF has not heard this sentiment, but it is our hope that members of the military take every effort to prevent hearing loss while in the service, and to address any hearing issues they may have developed as soon as they are discovered. Untreated hearing loss can lead to many additional medical problems; for example, depression, isolation and dementia.
   

5. Are more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking hearing loss treatment?
   
   At least 60 percent of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistanhave acquired hearing loss or tinnitus because of noise exposure during their service. According to the Hearing Center of Excellence, in the past decade, 840,000 service members have been diagnosed with tinnitus, and just over 700,000 have hearing loss.
   

6. What are the most effective treatment options?
   
   Current treatments include hearing aids, cochlear implants and other devices. Treatments available for tinnitus include sound therapy, drug therapy, psychological interventions, brain stimulation and tinnitus retraining therapy, which is being tested through clinical trials at six flagship military treatment centers.
   
   A sequential program known as progressive tinnitus management has emerged as one of the most promising research-based methods. In order to help patients, it is necessary to mitigate the functional effects of tinnitus, such as difficulties with sleep, concentration and relaxation.
   

7. How can service members prevent hearing loss?

Traditional earplugs are effective in preventing hazardous noise from entering the ear canal, but they can interfere with speech communication or low-level combat sounds. Level-dependent earplugs have a small filter that enables soft noises to be conveyed with full strength while eliminating high-frequency or impulse noise.

Earmuffs are another option. … They provide greater attenuation than earplugs [but] make it harder to pick up the softer sounds that may be necessary for verbal communication. An electronic communication system in the earmuff allows wearers to communicate clearly with each other.

Noise-attenuating helmets should be used by military personnel operating combat vehicles or aircraft. These helmets protect the wearer from hearing loss, crash impact and eye injuries while also increasing communication ability through a radio communication piece.
Technologically advanced helmets include an active noise-reducing technology that monitors the sound energy around the ear and cancels any unwanted noise while preserving verbal communications. A communications earplug with a microphone can be worn in addition to the helmet for high-quality verbal clarity.

—Thomas B. Spincic

Scientists restore hearing in noise-deafened mice

By the University of Michigan Health System

Scientists have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears.

This microscope image of tissue from deep inside a normal mouse ear shows how ribbon synapses (red) form the connections between the hair cells of the inner ear (blue) and the tips of nerve cells (green) that connect to the brain.

Credit: Corfas lab - University of Michigan

By demonstrating the importance of the protein, called NT3, in maintaining communication between the ears and brain, these new findings pave the way for research in humans that could improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise exposure and normal aging.

In a new paper in the online journal eLife, the team from the University of Michigan Medical School's Kresge Hearing Research Institute and Harvard University report the results of their work to understand NT3's role in the inner ear, and the impact of increased NT3 production on hearing after a noise exposure.

Their work also illustrates the key role of cells that have traditionally been seen as the "supporting actors" of the ear-brain connection. Called supporting cells, they form a physical base for the hearing system's "stars": the hair cells in the ear that interact directly with the nerves that carry sound signals to the brain. This new research identifies the critical role of these supporting cells along with the NT3 molecules that they produce.

NT3 is crucial to the body's ability to form and maintain connections between hair cells and nerve cells, the researchers demonstrate. This special type of connection, called a ribbon synapse, allows extra-rapid communication of signals that travel back and forth across tiny gaps between the two types of cells.

"It has become apparent that hearing loss due to damaged ribbon synapses is a very common and challenging problem, whether it's due to noise or normal aging," says Gabriel Corfas, Ph.D., who led the team and directs the U-M institute. "We began this work 15 years ago to answer very basic questions about the inner ear, and now we have been able to restore hearing after partial deafening with noise, a common problem for people. It's very exciting."

Using a special genetic technique, the researchers made it possible for some mice to produce additional NT3 in cells of specific areas of the inner ear after they were exposed to noise loud enough to reduce hearing. Mice with extra NT3 regained their ability to hear much better than the control mice.

Now, says Corfas, his team will explore the role of NT3 in human ears, and seek drugs that might boost NT3 action or production. While the use of such drugs in humans could be several years away, the new discovery gives them a specific target to pursue.

Corfas, a professor and associate chair in the U-M Department of Otolaryngology, worked on the research with first author Guoqiang Wan, Ph.D., Maria E. Gómez-Casati, Ph.D., and others in his former institution, Harvard. Some of the authors now work with Corfas in his new U-M lab. They set out to find out how ribbon synapses -- which are found only in the ear and eye -- form, and what molecules are important to their formation and maintenance.

Anyone who has experienced problems making out the voice of the person next to them in a crowded room has felt the effects of reduced ribbon synapses. So has anyone who has experienced temporary reduction in hearing after going to a loud concert. The damage caused by noise -- over a lifetime or just one evening -- reduces the ability of hair cells to talk to the brain via ribbon synapse connections with nerve cells.

Targeted genetics made discovery possible

After determining that inner ear supporting cells supply NT3, the team turned to a technique called conditional gene recombination to see what would happen if they boosted NT3 production by the supporting cells. The approach allows scientists to activate genes in specific cells, by giving a dose of a drug that triggers the cell to "read" extra copies of a gene that had been inserted into them. For this research, the scientists activated the extra NT3 genes only into the inner ear's supporting cells.

The genes didn't turn on until the scientists wanted them to -- either before or after they exposed the mice to loud noises. The scientists turned on the NT3 genes by giving a dose of the drug tamoxifen, which triggered the supporting cells to make more of the protein. Before and after this step, they tested the mice's hearing using an approach called auditory brainstem response or ABR -- the same test used on humans.

The result: the mice with extra NT3 regained their hearing over a period of two weeks, and were able to hear much better than mice without the extra NT3 production. The scientists also did the same with another nerve cell growth factor, or neurotrophin, called BDNF, but did not see the same effect on hearing.

Next steps

Now that NT3's role in making and maintaining ribbon synapses has become clear, Corfas says the next challenge is to study it in human ears, and to look for drugs that can work like NT3 does. Corfas has some drug candidates in mind, and hopes to partner with industry to look for others.

Boosting NT3 production through gene therapy in humans could also be an option, he says, but a drug-based approach would be simpler and could be administered as long as it takes to restore hearing.

Corfas notes that the mice in the study were not completely deafened, so it's not yet known if boosting NT3 activity could restore hearing that has been entirely lost. He also notes that the research may have implications for other diseases in which nerve cell connections are lost -- called neurodegenerative diseases. "This brings supporting cells into the spotlight, and starts to show how much they contribute to plasticity, development and maintenance of neural connections," he says.

In addition to Corfas, Wan and Gómez-Casati, who now works in Argentina, the research was performed by Angelica R. Gigliello, and M. Charles Liberman, Ph.D. director of the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. The research was supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (DC004820, DC005209) and by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD18655), both part of the National Institutes of Health, and by the Hearing Health Foundation.

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Michigan Health System. 

  We need your help in funding the exciting work of hearing and balance scientists. 

To donate today to Hearing Health Foundation and support groundbreaking research, visit hhf.org/name-a-grant.

Meet the Researcher: Noah R. Druckenbrod, Ph.D.

MEET THE RESEARCHER

NAME:

Noah R. Druckenbrod, Ph.D.
Harvard University

BIO:

Druckenbrod received a Ph.D. in Cellular Biology and Neurobiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and is now a postdoctoral fellow in the department of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Boston. A 2015 Emerging Research Grant scientist, he is the recipient of The Todd M. Bader Research Grant of The Barbara Epstein Foundation, Inc.

IN HIS WORDS:

The mature cochlea is a spiraled hollow chamber of bone, nestled next to the brain, that contains all the necessary components to transmit sound information to the brain.

This feat is accomplished through the organization of inner ear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Nerve cell fibers (axons) must transmit electrochemical information from the hair cells through precise synaptic connections whose arrangement is established in the fetus.

Surrounding almost all nerves are glial cells that are classically thought to support neuron health. Our early data and evidence from other studies lead us to hypothesize that how nerve cells interact with the glial tissue plays a major role in how signals guide nerve fibers through the three-dimensional terrain of the cochlea.

For example, glial cells and neurons not only attract one another but they also send signals back and forth to instruct one another’s cellular properties and behaviors. I am focusing on a glial cell type called Schwann cells.

Aspects of this research relate to cancer—and, relatedly, tinnitus. Schwann cell tumors, called schwannomas, are among the most common nervous system tumors in humans, and the most common tumors in the skull are schwannomas of the inner ear. As these tumors grow they compress vestibular and auditory nerves, usually causing hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness.

A fascinating property of Schwann cells is that they will begin to divide if they are not in contact with neurons. And a hallmark of inner ear schwannomas is that they appear to fail to interact with SGN axons. Therefore, the fetal cochlea offers a unique opportunity to better understand how auditory circuitry develops as well as how it can be disrupted by disease.

The thrill of discovery and figuring out the unknown has always inspired me. After some time enjoying all the sciences I became most interested in biology and health.

The first experiment of mine I can remember was in third grade for a science fair. At the time I was very interested in optical illusions and thought that left- and right-handed people may report seeing different images in a specific type of illusion. In this case I discovered that experiments don’t always work as planned! The results of the experiment were unclear because I couldn’t find enough left-handed people in my school.

You may have heard of “Ancient Aliens,” a funny show on the History Channel. About three years ago, as a favor to one of the producers I’d met, I appeared on a couple of episodes. It was a fun experience—but I was sure to make no scientifically dubious statements, unlike some of their other experts!

A 2015 Emerging Research Grant scientist, Noah R. Druckenbrod, Ph.D., grant was generously funded by The Barbara Epstein Foundation, Inc. To join Hearing Health Foundation in funding the innovative, groundbreaking work of emerging hearing and balance researchers, please see hhf.org/name-a-grant.

Unlocking the Potential for Hair Cell Regeneration

By Laura Friedman

On November 5, 2015, Hearing Health Foundation hosted its second live-video research briefing as part of our effort to provide regular updates on our research programs and progress. Through these briefings, our goal is for our attendees to obtain new information and understanding about hearing loss, prevention and research toward a cure.

Dr. Andy Groves, Hearing Restoration Project consortium member, presented recent research advances and new discoveries, the use of new technology, and our future plans to prevent and cure hearing loss and tinnitus. The HRP was founded in 2011 and is the first and only international research consortium focused on investigating hair cell regeneration as a cure for hearing loss and tinnitus. The overarching principle of the consortium is collaboration: open sharing of data and ideas. The HRP consortium consists of 13 of the top investigators in the audiological space, as well as a scientific director, Dr. Barr-Gillespie.

We wanted to share with you highlights from the presentation, which is available to watch with live captioning or to read with notes summarizing each slide.

Your Support Is Needed!

Hair cell regeneration is a plausible goal for eventual treatment of hearing and balance disorders. 

The question is not if we will regenerate hair cells in humans, but when.  

However, we need your support to continue this vital research and find a cure! Please make your gift today. 

Selective Attention or Selective Hearing?

By Ross K Maddox, Huriye Atilgan, Jennifer K Bizley, Adrian KC Lee

In the noisy din of a cocktail party, there are many sources of sound that compete for our attention. Even so, we can easily block out the noise and focus on a conversation, especially when we are talking to someone in front of us.

This is possible in part because our sensory system combines inputs from our senses. Scientists have proposed that our perception is stronger when we can hear and see something at the same time, as opposed to just being able to hear it. For example, if we tried to talk to someone on a phone during a cocktail party, the background noise would probably drown out the conversation. However, when we can see the person we are talking to, it is easier to hold a conversation.

Maddox et al. have now explored this phenomenon in experiments that involved human subjects listening to an audio stream that was masked by background sound. While listening, the subjects also watched completely irrelevant videos that moved in sync with either the audio stream or with the background sound. The subjects then had to perform a task that involved pushing a button when they heard random changes (such as subtle changes in tone or pitch) in the audio stream.

The experiment showed that the subjects performed well when they saw a video that was in sync with the audio stream. However, their performance dropped when the video was in sync with the background sound. This suggests that when we hold a conversation during a noisy cocktail party, seeing the other person's face move as they talk creates a combined audio–visual impression of that person, helping us separate what they are saying from all the noise in the background. However, if we turn to look at other guests, we become distracted and the conversation may become lost.

This post originally appeared on eLife Science on Feb 5, 2015 in reference to the scienctific publication, "Auditory selective attention is enhanced by a task-irrelevant temporally coherent visual stimulus in human listeners." HHF amended the title from the original publication, permitted through Creative Commons. 

We need your help in funding the exciting work of hearing and balance scientists. 

To donate today to Hearing Health Foundation and support groundbreaking research, visit hhf.org/name-a-grant.

How Noise Affects the Palate

By Melissa Osgood, Cornell University

If you're planning to fly over the holiday, plan to drink some tomato juice. While examining how airplane noise affects the palate, Cornell University food scientists found sweetness suppressed and a tasty, tender tomato surprise: umami.

A Japanese scientific term, umami describes the sweet, savory taste of amino acids such as glutamate in foods like tomato juice, and according to the new study, in noisy situations -- like the 85 decibels aboard a jetliner -- umami-rich foods become your taste bud's best buds.

"Our study confirmed that in an environment of loud noise, our sense of taste is compromised. Interestingly, this was specific to sweet and umami tastes, with sweet taste inhibited and umami taste significantly enhanced," said Robin Dando, assistant professor of food science. "The multisensory properties of the environment where we consume our food can alter our perception of the foods we eat."

With Dando, Kimberly Yan, co-authored the study, "A Crossmodal Role for Audition in Taste Perception," published online in March in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. The research will appear in a forthcoming print edition of the journal.

The study may guide reconfiguration of airline food menus to make airline food taste better. Auditory conditions in air travel actually may enhance umami, the researchers found. In contrast, exposure to the loud noise condition dulled sweet taste ratings.

Airlines acknowledge the phenomenon. German airline Lufthansa had noticed that passengers were consuming as much tomato juice as beer. The airline commissioned a private study released last fall that showed cabin pressure enhanced tomato juice taste.

Taste perception depends not only on the integration of several sensory inputs associated with the food or drink itself, but also on the sensory attributes of the environment in which the food is consumed, the scientists say.

"The multisensory nature of what we consider 'flavor' is undoubtedly underpinned by complex central and peripheral interactions," said Dando. "Our results characterize a novel sensory interaction, with intriguing implications for the effect of the environment in which we consume food."

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Cornell University.