In our August 2020 paper in The Hearing Journal, we review causes of prematurity and the typical development of the auditory system. The sensory system, which includes the auditory system, develops in a very specific way inside the womb. This process is interrupted and occurs differently when development continues outside of the womb due to a premature birth.
What Auditory Processing Disorders Are Really All About
I expand on the information presented, clarify issues, and ensure that readers obtain an appropriate understanding of what auditory processing disorders are really all about, how they are appropriately evaluated, and how specific treatments are identified for the different types of auditory processing disorders (APD) that may be found in a child.
Investigating the Interaction of Auditory and Pain Pathways
As the intensity of a sound increases, typical-hearing listeners experience an increase in loudness, but for levels above 120 decibels (dB), listeners not only perceive the sound as extremely loud, but also painful—the aural threshold of pain. Some individuals with hearing loss and other neurological disorders perceive even moderate-intensity sounds as both painful and loud, a condition known as pain hyperacusis.
Erica Patino of Hear2Tell Interviews Timothy Higdon of HHF
In summer 2020, Erica Patino, who lives with a genetic hearing loss, interviewed Hearing Health Foundation (HHF) President & CEO about our research programs and progress toward hearing loss cures. HHF’s focus has always been and remains funding the basic science that propels scientific knowledge forward and comprises the building blocks in the development of new treatments, devices, and approaches. Basic science research is foundational and critical to finding cures for hearing loss.
Cochlear Implants Should Be Recommended For Adults More Often
Hearing loss affects millions of people worldwide. A committee of hearing experts has released a new set of recommendations emphasizing that cochlear implants (pictured) should be offered to adults who have moderate to severe or worse hearing loss much more often than is the current practice. Such a change could improve quality of life for many, according to the authors.
Hearing Restoration Project Plans Announced for 2020–21
Hearing loss occurs when sensory hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) are damaged or die. The goal of the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) is to develop therapeutic methods to convert the cells that remain after damage into new, completely functional sensory hair cells, restoring hearing. We know that in most species—but not mammals, like humans and mice—hair cells robustly regenerate on their own after damage to the auditory system.
Association Between Nonoptimal Blood Pressure and Cochlear Function
High blood pressure (BP) is a common chronic condition in the United States with an estimated prevalence among adults of 31 percent, or 69 million. In addition to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease, elevated BP may also increase risk of hearing loss. In fact, the two commonly co-occur. Numerous studies have evaluated the association between hearing loss and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high BP.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Overcome Pediatric Listening Difficulties
Listening difficulties occur in children diagnosed with auditory processing disorders (also known as central auditory processing disorders) and may co-occur in children who have developmental language disorder or attention/memory deficits. Persistent listening difficulties negatively affect children's learning and functioning. Studying factors that influence children’s listening performance using a unified multidisciplinary approach is crucial to better identify and manage deficits that contribute to listening difficulties in children.
Sunnybrook Researchers Have Developed a New Way to Detect Hearing Loss In Blood
In their pre-clinical research, Dr. Dabdoub and Dr. Sahar Mahshid, research associate, have designed a biosensor test to detect otolin-1 and prestin, two unique proteins which can be found circulating in blood and are linked to balance and hearing disorders respectively. The test, which is patent pending, is comparable to a glucose monitor and requires only a drop of blood.
2020-2021 Scientific Grantees Announced
Scientific researchers have, like all of us, faced numerous challenges over the past months of the COVID-19 crisis, but have continued the science throughout, whether in reduced occupancy labs or remote, driven by their dedication to advance knowledge and contribute to the treatment and, ultimately, cure for hearing loss and other hearing and balance disorders. HHF’s donors have shown similar dedication, and HHF is happy to provide research funding to the exceptionally promising projects below.