My lab at the University of Michigan identified a novel neuron type called VIP neurons. VIP neurons make a small protein called vasoactive intestinal peptide. Despite its name, previous studies have shown that VIP is made by specific types of neurons in several other brain regions.
CT Imaging as a Diagnostic Tool for Ménière’s Disease
Comparing the angle measurements of the ATVA, we confirmed the results of the cadaveric study. There was a strong correlation between late onset Ménière’s with a typical “adult” course of the vestibular aqueduct, while early onset Ménière’s was associated with a more straight, “fetal” course of the vestibular aqueduct.
Lasting Effects From Head and Brain Injury
In our research “Patient‐Reported Auditory Handicap Measures Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury,” published in The Laryngoscope, we examined auditory complaints following traumatic brain injury, as well as changes that occur to the peripheral vestibular system in the postmortem setting.
Making Sense of Sound
Valeriy Shafiro conducts research in hearing and speech perception that focuses on finding new ways to diagnose auditory deficits and improve communication abilities in adults.
Moving Beyond Wnt and Notch Pathways for Hair Cell Regeneration
Both the Wnt and Notch pathways play a role in determining how inner ear cells develop into specific types of cells and multiply, and they are also important in the development of the cochlea as a whole.
Outsmarting the Most Common Military Injury: How One Veteran Is Helping Future Generations
After meeting qualifications through a rigorous annual application process, HHF Board Chair John Dillard has been a tinnitus consumer reviewer for three years, a role he expects to continue.
2019-2020 Emerging Research Grantees Announced
Following a rigorous review process, our Scientific Review Committee and Council of Scientific Trustees, comprised of senior expert scientists and physicians from across the US, have chosen fourteen especially meritorious projects to fund, covering a broad range of hearing and balance science.
Very High-Frequency Hearing Loss and Tinnitus: Is There a Link?
With central inhibition lowered, signals that are typically dampened are able to be perceived, potentially resulting in tinnitus. Our paper also showed the utility of measuring central inhibition through cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs), which are electrical responses in the brain that reveal levels of central inhibition.
Stability in an Unstable World
By studying the mouse brain, Balmer and Trussell have now mapped the direct and indirect circuits that carry sensory information to the vestibular cerebellum. Both types of input activate cells within the vestibular cerebellum called unipolar brush cells (UBCs).
Improved TMC1 Gene Therapy Restores Hearing and Balance in Mice
Half of all inner ear disorders, which have a negative impact on hearing and/or balance, are caused by genetic mutations. A study published in January 2019 in Nature Communications demonstrates the effectiveness of a gene therapy targeting one specific gene mutation, TMC1 (transmembrane channel-like 1).