Xiying Guan, Ph.D.

Meet the Researcher

Guan received his Ph.D. in bioengineering from University of Oklahoma.

He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow of Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear and in the Department of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School.

The Research

Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School
Hyperacusis caused by abnormalities in auditory mechanics

Many hyperacusis patients have what is called “conductive hyperacusis,” due to mechanical abnormalities of the ear that result in a hypersensitivity to sounds/vibrations transmitted through their bodies. These include the sensation of one’s own voice (autophony), pulse, and body movements such as eye motion and footsteps, as well as sensing the vibrations of items such as vehicles. These symptoms are common among patients who have an opening in the bone encapsulating the inner ear (termed a superior canal dehiscence, a type of pathological third-window lesion).

Compared with hyperacusis stemming from neurosensory issues, conductive hyperacusis has the potential for treatment. Recently, surgical treatment for hyperacusis by changing the mechanics of surrounding structures of the inner ear show mixed results, with some patients experiencing worse symptoms after surgery.

Although these “experimental” surgical treatments in patients are increasing, the mechanisms of conductive hyperacusis are not well understood, and scientific research targeting this problem is lacking. This study aims to understand how mechanical changes in fresh cadaveric specimens with similar gross mechanics as the living can influence the cochlear input drive (an estimate of hearing), resulting in hyperacusis. Our novel intracochlear pressure measurement technique will allow the monitoring of the cochlear input drive as we manipulate the mechanics surrounding the inner ear.

Research areas: middle and inner ear mechanics, bone conduction, hearing loss, conductive hyperacusis

Long-term goal: To understand how hyperacusis can occur due to mechanical disturbances of the middle and inner ear, and to provide the necessary scientific understanding to enable treatment.