Hearing

Researchers at the Salk Institute have made a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for genetic hearing loss. Gene therapy that delivers a particular protein can ensure faulty hair cells grow correctly, allowing for improved hearing.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have used Bluetooth earbuds and a deep learning AI system to diagnose three common ear conditions with a simple, non-invasive audio test that uses a sonar-like audio chirp to map out the ear structure.

There may soon be new hope for patients born with genetic defects that leave them with misshapen or missing ears. A new human clinical trial will test an implant known as an AuriNovo, which uses a 3D-bioprinted ear grown from the patient’s own cells.

A newly published meta-analysis has uncovered 10 new genetic variants that contribute to age-related hearing loss. The findings indicate a part of the ear known as the stria vascularis may play a part in hearing impairment.

Scientists studying the mechanisms behind deafness have pinpointed a single gene they described as a type of master switch for cell differentiation, opening up exciting new possibilities around restoration of hearing.

Scientists have successfully used gene therapy to reverse genetic hearing loss in mice. The team corrected a gene mutation that affects sensory hair cells in the ear, and the new jigsaw-like method could help improve gene therapy for other disorders.

Eardrum perforations are painful, impair hearing and are tricky to repair. The PhonoGraft, developed at Harvard, is a 3D-printed implant that can patch up damage by encouraging natural cells to regrow, and now it’s ready for commercial production.

An 11-year study has found that difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments may be an early sign of dementia. The next step will be to investigate whether treating mid-life hearing impairments can reduce the risk of dementia developing later on.

Although cochlear implants do allow some deaf people to hear again, adjusting the devices to individual users can be challenging. An experimental new implant is designed to help in that regard, by reading the user's brain waves.

A number of hearing aids are now able to amplify one person's voice while filtering out distracting background voices. Well, it turns out that female tree frogs are able to perform a similar task, in order to hear the mating calls of males.

Examination of noise pollution data before and then during the stay-at-home and social distancing orders implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic has shown that people’s average exposure to environmental noise dropped by nearly half.

Tinnitus is an aggravating disorder, causing sufferers to constantly hear a ringing in their ears. A new system could help, though, by simultaneously zapping their tongue and delivering sounds to their ears.