The symposium aims to spur collaborative thinking and projects among Ménière’s disease researchers and clinicians to stimulate advances in better understanding and treating Ménière's disease

I have bilateral Ménière’s disease and at times have suffered greatly from the vertigo attacks and subsequent symptoms afterward, so HHF’s mission is near and dear to my heart and I’d like to contribute a little here and there.

I currently work with a mouse model with hearing fluctuation and have a clinical protocol that is performing deep phenotyping of patients with hearing instability, including patients with Ménière’s disease.

Activity by special neurons called unipolar brush cells reveals that they may introduce delays or increase the length of firing responses, and presumably extend vestibular sensory representations. 

The 218 planned gift commitments total an estimated $30 million to $50 million, 100 percent of which will be used to fund scientific research on hearing loss and related conditions.  

Getting the diagnosis at age 17 made me feel like I couldn't really be a teenager and enjoy my time as a teen. Over time, I accepted it as a part of my life but also learned how to change my lifestyle to be able to live the life I want to live. 

I think it would be a good idea if we as hearing impaired individuals wear a button, like a campaign button, that says, “HI” and underneath it says, “hearing impaired.”  That way people will know to face us when they speak, and to speak more slowly or loudly.

As of this year, our general hearing health grants have been renamed Elizabeth M. Keithley, Ph.D. Early Stage Investigator Awards in recognition of Keithley’s impact on the field and long service to HHF, and the awards’ focus on supporting the next generation.

Despite lacking evidence for sympathetic overactivation in Ménière's disease, surgeons eagerly adopted sympathectomies, and later betahistine, and the latter is still commonly used outside the U.S. as treatment.

Fluid buildup in the saccule and cochlear duct might be due to increased pressure, while the utricle might be better protected due to its thicker walls and functioning valve. This points to an inverse relationship between membrane thickness and fluid buildup, helping us better understand how fluid buildup occurs in Ménière's disease.

We also found that the size of the semicircular canal in some Ménière's disease ears was smaller than the control ears. This suggests that the relative size of the inner ear structures may play a role in the development of the condition

As a veteran entertainment industry executive, I am acutely aware of the power that film and television have to enlighten, so I decided to develop “Unheard: The Ears of Ménière’s,” a documentary that will shine a light on this debilitating disease which has remained unheard for far too long.