ScienceDaily: Hearing Loss News

How bilinguals switch between languages

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:38:38 EDT

Individuals who learn two languages at an early age seem to switch back and forth between separate "sound systems" for each language, according to new research. The research addresses enduring questions in bilingual studies about how bilingual speakers hear and process sound in two different languages.

Echolocation: Blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects, study finds

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

New research shows that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object. The study examined how hearing, and particularly the hearing of echoes, could help blind people with spatial awareness and navigation.

Brain makes call on which ear is used for cell phone

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:16:16 EDT

If you're a left-brain thinker, chances are you use your right hand to hold your cell phone up to your right ear, according to a newly published study. The study shows a strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used to listen to a cell phone.

Grammar errors? The brain detects them even when you are unaware

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Your brain often works on autopilot when it comes to grammar. That theory has been around for years, but neuroscientists have now captured elusive hard evidence that people indeed detect and process grammatical errors with no awareness of doing so.

How brain's auditory center transmits information for decisions, actions

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

When a pedestrian hears the screech of a car's brakes, she has to decide whether, and if so, how, to move in response. Is the action taking place blocks away, or 20 feet to the left? One of the primal mechanisms we depend on -- acting on the basis of information gathered by our sense of hearing -- is yielding its secrets. Surprising results fill in a key piece of the puzzle about how mammals act on the basis of sound cues.

Musical memory deficits start in auditory cortex

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

Congenital amusia is a disorder characterized by impaired musical skills, which can extend to an inability to recognize very familiar tunes. The neural bases of this deficit are now being deciphered. According to a new study amusics exhibit altered processing of musical information in two regions of the brain: the auditory cortex and the frontal cortex, particularly in the right cerebral hemisphere. These alterations seem to be linked to anatomical anomalies in these same cortices.

Concert cacophony: Short-term hearing loss can be protective, not damaging, researchers find

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:23:23 EDT

Contrary to conventional wisdom, short-term hearing loss after sustained exposure to loud noise does not reflect damage to our hearing: Instead, it is the body's way to cope. The landmark finding could lead to improved protection against noise-induced hearing loss in future.

Bad behavior in kids with hearing implants doesn't predict slowed language development

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:42:42 EDT

A new study is challenging a long held belief among speech therapists and audiologists that bad behavior in young children with hearing implants is an indicator of device failure and a predictor of poor language development.

Speaking a tonal language (such as Cantonese) primes the brain for musical training

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:26:26 EDT

Non-musicians who speak tonal languages may have a better ear for learning musical notes, according to researchers.

Regaining proper hearing at last

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Around 17 million people in Germany suffer from impaired hearing. For many of them, their hearing is so damaged that a standard hearing aid is no longer enough. A new device will improve patients’ hearing and can be implanted during outpatient surgery.

Protecting ears from hearing loss: Primary role of olivocochlear efferent system discovered

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:35 EDT

New research may have discovered a key piece in the puzzle of how hearing works by identifying the role of the olivocochlear efferent system in protecting ears from hearing loss.

'Evolutionary glitch' possible cause of childhood ear infections

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:14:14 EDT

Researchers have uncovered how the human ear is formed, giving clues as to why children are susceptible to infections such as glue ear.

Elite athletes also excel at some cognitive tasks

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:16:16 EDT

New research suggests that elite athletes -- Olympic medalists in volleyball, for example -- perform better than the rest of us in yet another way. These athletes excel not only in their sport of choice but also in how fast their brains take in and respond to new information -- cognitive abilities that are important on and off the court.

Rapid hearing loss may be a symptom of rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:55:55 EDT

Rapid hearing loss in both ears may be a symptom of the rare but always-fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and should be considered a reason for clinicians to test for the disorder.

Mom's sensitivity helps language development in children with hearing loss

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:34:34 EST

Psychologists demonstrate the impact sensitive parenting has on language growth for children who receive cochlear implants.

Solving the 'Cocktail Party Problem': How we can focus on one speaker in noisy crowds

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 EST

In the din of a crowded room, paying attention to just one speaker's voice can be challenging. Research demonstrates how the brain homes in on one speaker to solve this "Cocktail Party Problem." Researchers discovered that brain waves are shaped so the brain can selectively track the sound patterns from the speaker of interest while excluding competing sounds from other speakers. The findings could have important implications for helping individuals with a range of deficits.

Better understanding of peripheral neuropathy

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:14:14 EST

Researchers have unlocked the key to a mechanism for peripheral neuropathy in people with multiple brain tumors.

Now hear this: Forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing identified

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 EST

Researchers have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.

Resveratrol shows promise to protect hearing, cognition

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:17:17 EST

Resveratrol, a substance found in red grapes and red wine, may have the potential to protect against hearing and cognitive decline, according to a new study.

Children with auditory processing disorder may now have more treatment options

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:09:09 EST

Researchers are helping children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment. They have developed a program that uses evidence-based practices and incorporates speech-language pathologists into therapy.

Fighting disease deep inside the brain

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:42:42 EST

Mini, ultra-flexible electrodes could improve treatment of Parkinson's and other health issues.

Noisy classroom simulation aids comprehension in hearing-impaired children

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:50:50 EST

Training the brain to filter out background noise and thus understand spoken words could help the academic performance and quality of life for children who struggle to hear, but there's been little evidence that such noise training works in youngsters. A new report showed about a 50 percent increase in speech comprehension in background noise when children with hearing impairments followed a three-week auditory training regimen.

Is lead poisoning behind some juvenile crime?

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:48:48 EST

Six percent of all children ages one to two years and 11 percent of African-American (non-Hispanic) children ages one to five years have blood lead levels in the toxic range in the area a lead poisoning.

New brain-test app

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:58:58 EST

Smartphones offer a wealth of possibilities for psychological research. A new study shows that an iPhone app yields as reliable results as laboratory tests.

Researchers develop Rx for deafness, impaired balance in mouse model of Usher syndrome

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:39:39 EST

In a new study, researchers report that hearing and balance can be rescued by a new therapy in a mouse model of Usher syndrome (Usher) that contains the mutation responsible for type 1C Usher. The results provide the first evidence that congenital deafness can be effectively overcome by treatment early in development to correct gene expression.

Discovering the missing 'LINC' to deafness

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:39:39 EST

50 percent of hearing loss is linked to genetic mutations. Now a researcher has discovered a significant mutation in a family of proteins that could lead to new treatments for hearing disorders.

FDA approves clinical trial of auditory brainstem implant procedure for children in U.S.

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:13:13 EST

The House Research Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given final approval to begin a clinical trial of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) procedure for children. The trial is a surgical collaboration sponsored by the House Research Institute in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Vittorio Colletti, MD of the University of Verona Hospital, Verona, Italy.

Hearing loss accelerates brain function decline in older adults

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:17:17 EST

Older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than older adults whose hearing is normal, according to a new study.

Stress makes exhausted women over-sensitive to sounds

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:55:55 EST

Women suffering from stress-related exhaustion exhibit hypersensitivity to sounds when exposed to stress. In some cases, a sound level corresponding to a normal conversation can be perceived as painful.

Music from the ear: Researchers show how an objective audiometric test can become even more reliable

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 07:54:54 EST

Not only can the human ear detect sounds, it can also generate them. If the ear hears the two upper tones of a major triad, it produces the fundamental of the chord which can then be measured. This phenomenon, called "otoacoustic emission" (OAE), is used by otologists for objective audiometric tests, e.g. in newborns. Researchers have shown that an OAE audiometric test becomes even more reliable if the two sounds are transmitted to the ear not via a loudspeaker, but by bone conduction.

Sensory hair cells regenerated, hearing restored in noise-damaged mammal ear

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:42:42 EST

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that hair cells can be regenerated in an adult mammalian ear by using a drug to stimulate resident cells to become new hair cells, resulting in partial recovery of hearing in mouse ears damaged by noise trauma. This finding holds great potential for future therapeutic application that may someday reverse deafness in humans.

Mechanism of hearing is similar to car battery, researcher learns

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:57:57 EST

Biologists have shown that one of the mechanisms involved in hearing is similar to the battery in your car. And if that isn't interesting enough, the scientists advanced their knowledge of human hearing by studying a similar auditory system in fruit flies -- and by making use of the fruit fly "love song."

Speaking skills crucial for hearing impaired children in the classroom

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:07:07 EST

New research shows that the successful integration of hearing-impaired children into hearing classrooms is dependent upon how well the child can speak. Children with hearing loss, their parents, and their teachers can aid successful integration by focusing on speech development.

Dogs can help wake sleepy patients on public transport

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:31:31 EST

Researchers in Belgium show in a new article how dogs can help patients with severe sleep problems.

Novel laser technique reveals how the inner ear amplifies sound

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:02:02 EST

Researchers have described how the ear amplifies incoming sound using an innovative laser technique.

Gender differences found in seasonal auditory changes

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:52:52 EST

Auditory systems differ between sexes in sparrows depending on the season, a neuroscientist has found. The work adds to our knowledge of how the parts of the nervous system, including that of humans, are able to change.

Scientists identify molecules in the ear that convert sound into brain signals

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:19:19 EST

Scientists have identified a critical component of the ear-to-brain conversion -- a protein called TMHS. This protein is a component of the so-called mechanotransduction channels in the ear, which convert the signals from mechanical sound waves into electrical impulses transmitted to the nervous system.

Ray of hope for human Usher syndrome patients

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:11:11 EST

After years of basic research, scientists are increasingly able to understand the mechanisms underlying human Usher syndrome -- a congenital disorder that causes the loss of both hearing and vision -- and are coming ever closer to finding a successful treatment approach.

In schizophrenia patients, auditory cues sound bigger problems

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 22:21:21 EST

Researchers have found that deficiencies in the neural processing of simple auditory tones can evolve into a cascade of dysfunctional information processing across wide swaths of the brain in patients with schizophrenia.

New light shed on virus associated with developmental delays and deafness

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:35:35 EST

A new study reveals that primitive human stem cells are resistant to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), one of the leading prenatal causes of congenital intellectual disability, deafness and deformities worldwide. Researchers found that as stem cells and other primitive cells mature into neurons, they become more susceptible to HCMV, which could allow them to find effective treatments for the virus and to prevent its potentially devastating consequences.

What sound? Popular music devices could be dialing up hearing losses

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:00:00 EST

The popularity of personal music devices like iPods and other MP3 players and their lack of sound-limiting controls has an ear specialist concerned. These devices, when combined with attached ear buds and headphones, can generate sound levels up to 115 decibels, well above the highest level of 85 decibels recommended by most hearing experts.

Early 50s may be key time to reach baby boomers with health messages

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:26:26 EST

For baby boomers, the peak interest in health issues comes at about age 51, with a second peak coming near age 65, according to a new study.

Brain waves make waves

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:33:33 EST

Naturally, our brain activity waxes and wanes. When listening, this oscillation synchronizes to the sounds we are hearing. Researchers have found that this influences the way we listen. Hearing abilities also oscillate and depend on the exact timing of one’s brain rhythms. This discovery that sound, brain, and behavior are so intimately coupled will help us to learn more about listening abilities in hearing loss.

Diabetic patients have higher prevalence of hearing impairment

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:32:32 EST

Patients with diabetes have a significantly higher prevalence of hearing impairment than patients without diabetes, according to a recent.

Medical devices powered by the ear itself

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:17:17 EST

For the first time, researchers power an implantable electronic device using an electrical potential -- a natural battery -- deep in the inner ear.

Software improves quality of sound for hearing aid users

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:16:16 EST

New software could greatly improve sound perception for users of hearing aids. The software prescribes the amount of amplification of high-frequency sounds required to restore the audibility of such sounds. This increases the frequency range of sound that individuals with hearing loss are able to detect, improving speech perception, sound localisation and the ability to hear certain musical sounds, when compared with current methods.

Firm molecular handshake needed for hearing and balance

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:29:29 EST

Researchers have mapped the precise 3-D atomic structure of a thin protein filament critical for cells in the inner ear and calculated the force necessary to pull it apart. These findings show the characteristics of the most vulnerable area of a structure called the tip link, and open avenues for research in fields related to noise-induced hearing loss and certain genetic diseases.

Cannabis use mimics cognitive weakness that can lead to schizophrenia, fMRI study finds

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:46:46 EDT

Researchers in Norway have found new support for their theory that cannabis use causes a temporary cognitive breakdown in non-psychotic individuals, leading to long-term psychosis. In an fMRI study, researchers found a different brain activity pattern in schizophrenia patients with previous cannabis use than in schizophrenic patients without prior cannabis use.

Perfect pitch: Knowing the note may be in your genes

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:40:40 EDT

People with perfect pitch seem to possess their own inner pitch pipe, allowing them to sing a specific note without first hearing a reference tone. This skill has long been associated with early and extensive musical training, but new research suggests that perfect pitch may have as much to do with genetics as it does with learning an instrument or studying voice.

Want the shortest path to the good life? Try cynicism

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:35:35 EDT

A classics professor sheds new light on the philosophy of the ancient Cynics. They actually held values they viewed as a shortcut to happiness.

Gene that causes a form of deafness discovered

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:21:21 EDT

Researchers have found a new genetic mutation responsible for deafness and hearing loss associated with Usher syndrome type 1.

The nuanced relationship between language and different types of perception

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 12:53:53 EDT

New research examines the nuanced relationship between language and different types of perception.

Hearing brains are 'deaf' to disappearance of sounds, study reveals

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 17:47:47 EDT

Our brains are better at hearing new and approaching sounds than detecting when a sound disappears, according to a new study. The findings could explain why parents often fail to notice the sudden quiet from the playroom that usually accompanies the onset of mischief.

Leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss, zebrafish study suggests

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:30:30 EDT

Leptin -- commonly dubbed the "fat hormone" -- does more than tell the brain when to eat. A new study shows that leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss. This discovery, made in zebrafish treated to produce low leptin, could ultimately help doctors better understand sensory loss in humans.

Music underlies language acquisition, theorists propose

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:56:56 EDT

Contrary to the prevailing theories that music and language are cognitively separate or that music is a byproduct of language, theorists advocate that music underlies the ability to acquire language.

Is magnetic therapy effective for tinnitus?

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:47:47 EDT

Loyola University Medical Center is studying whether a new form of non-invasive magnetic therapy can help people who suffer debilitating tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), sends short pulses of magnetic fields to the brain. TMS has been approved since 2009 for patients who have major depression and have failed at least one antidepressant.

Doctors not always using reliable websites for tinnitus information, study finds

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:53:53 EDT

Doctors are not always using the most comprehensive and reliable online resources to support them in treating patients with the debilitating hearing condition tinnitus, researchers have found.

Hearing impaired ears hear differently in noisy environments

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:19:19 EDT

The world continues to be a noisy place, and researchers have found that all that background chatter causes the ears of those with hearing impairments to work differently.

Preventing noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:17:17 EDT

Antioxidants, dietary supplements and high-tech brain imaging are among some of the novel strategies that may help detect, treat and even prevent noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus among American troops, according to researchers.

Earphones potentially as dangerous as noise from jet engines, researchers find

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 06:47:47 EDT

Turning the volume up too high on your headphones can damage the coating of nerve cells, leading to temporary deafness, scientists have shown. Earphones or headphones on personal music players can reach noise levels similar to those of jet engines, the researchers said.