Image: A graphical summary of the team’s paper in Molecular Therapy Methods & Clinical Development
What is the potential of gene therapy for preventing noise-induced hearing loss? Emerging Research Grants scientist Megan Beers Wood, Ph.D., and team enhanced a natural cochlear reflex that becomes activated by loud sounds and sends signals to outer hair cells of the inner ear so that they do not overactivate to a damaging degree. They found that the gene therapy treatment boosted this natural hearing protection and made the hair cells more resistant to noise damage, significantly reducing hearing loss from loud noise exposure.
Wood’s 2022–2023 grant was generously funded by our partner Hyperacusis Research, where she is now a scientific adviser.
Research webinar recording: “Listening Difficulties in Children Despite Typical Hearing,” with ERG scientist Beula Magimairaj, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, whose 2015 grant was generously funded by Royal Arch Research Assistance
What is the cingulo-opercular network and how does it connect to healthy hearing? Featuring research by ERG scientists Kenneth Vaden, Ph.D., and Mark Eckert, Ph.D., as well as HHF board member Judy Dubno, Ph.D.
Plus:
Here’s an early look at our Summer issue! If you’re a print subscriber, the magazine will arrive in your mailbox in the next few weeks.
Around the Web:
16 ways to protect your hearing, chosen by audiologists (The Guardian), 13 surprising habits that quietly age you faster (Health), and 6 ways to clean your ears without cotton swabs (Mental Floss)
Summer is a great time to protect your hearing (Science News) and best places to sit to avoid hearing loss (New York Post)
Tips for protecting your brain (WebMD), what I learned about getting a hearing aid (MedicalXpress), how Auracast will benefit power hearing aid users (The Hearing Review)
Making the business case for hearing benefits (Employee Benefit News) and how can I support my deaf or hard of hearing colleague (BMJ)
Owls’ silent flight inspires new noise reduction technology (Tech Xplore), city living is changing rodent skulls in Chicago (Popular Science), and sleep does not block brain response to screams and alarms (News-Medical.net)
Music touches every cognitive function there is (El País) and your left and right brain hear language differently (The Conversation)
New hope for the tinnitus sufferer (The Harvard Gazette), William Shatner gets candid up about “ups and downs” of living with permanent tinnitus (People.com), and sudden hearing loss requires prompt medical attention (The Oregonian)
Covid and the auditory system, five years later plus long Covid’s effect on hearing and brain fog (The Hearing Review)
A complete guide to over-the-counter hearing aids (Consumer Reports), I tried Hear.com’s at-home hearing test (Wired), and we tried the new Apple AirPods Pro 2’s hearing aid mode to see who might benefit (Prevention)
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