Birds can naturally restore their hearing after damage, a remarkable ability that inspired the creation of our Hearing Restoration Project. In our April 28 research webinar, HRP member Stefan Heller, Ph.D., of Stanford University shares how his lab has uncovered the principal mechanism of hair cell regeneration in the chick model, a cell division-based mechanism that his lab has meticulously tracked. Heller is also a former Emerging Research Grants (ERG) scientist.
Image: When a hair cell dies, the epithelial wound closes rapidly to prevent fluid leakage. One nearby supporting cell re-enters the cell cycle and divides into a new hair cell and a new supporting cell. This process begins 4–11 days after damage, with the new hair cell becoming functional by days 11–14.
1996–97 ERG scientist John Oghalai, Ph.D., showed that the brain may help regulate the ear’s sensitivity to sound and compensate for hearing loss by sending signals to the cochlea. This research using advanced imaging recently received NIH funding and could have implications for treating tinnitus and hyperacusis.
2012–13 ERG scientist Lina Reiss, Ph.D., found that binaural pitch fusion in central auditory processing may still be developing in pre-adolescent children, an extended timeline of development that could present an opportunity for treatment.
2018 ERG scientist A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega, Ph.D., shares how her dad’s backyard science lessons inspired her.
Our partner Cures Within Reach has a request for proposals for clinical repurposing trials in Ménière’s disease and other related disorders. Letter of intent due June 13. Get additional details here.
Plus:
Listening Difficulties in Children Despite Typical Hearing
Research from hearing, language, and cognitive studies helps us better assess children who struggle to listen even though their standard hearing tests are typical. Beula Magimairaj, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, a 2015 ERG scientist generously funded by Royal Arch Research Assistance, will explain how different challenges can occur together, effective testing methods, and impacts on school performance and educational needs. Get more info and register here.
Around the Web:
A unique sound alleviates motion sickness (ScienceDaily) and listen to “sound spice” for drug-free motion sickness relief (Vice)
Hearing loss linked to heightened heart failure risk (MedicalXpress) and 5 surprising things earwax can tell you about your health (AARP)
How to protect your hearing and still enjoy the music (Stylist) and I started losing my hearing in my 40s—here’s why you should never ignore the signs like I did (Woman & Home)
Scientists can now see the inner ear in stunning detail without cutting and why it could revolutionize hearing diagnosis (SciTechDaily)
Hearing loss may play a bigger role in dementia than previously thought (MedPage Today), 5 small habits that will vastly improve your brain health, according to neurologists (Inc.), and 17 factors affect your risk for dementia, stroke and depression, study suggests (CNN)
Tinnitus is devastating—I’m an audiologist, here’s how I overcame mine (Telegraph via Yahoo), what can you do about tinnitus? (The New York Times), new “hidden in plain sight” facial and eye biomarkers for tinnitus severity could unlock path to testing treatments (MedicalXpress), and trial aims to silence tinnitus before it takes hold (BBC)
The strange sensations caused by noise-canceling headphones (Rolling Out)
Essential safety tips for driving with hearing loss (KatherineBouton.com)
Subtitling your life (The New Yorker) and a shortlist for adaptive birding (Audubon)
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