Molecule Drug Therapy and Progressive Hearing Loss
A step closer to small molecule drug therapy in humans to combat hereditary progressive hearing loss.
One might think that once the cause for genetic, progressive hearing loss, like DFNA27 is identified, targeted therapy would swiftly follow. In actuality, the infinite and somewhat incomprehensible smallness associated with molecular research is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, with the haystack being DFNA27.
We are all familiar with the phrase “you are what you eat.” There is also accumulating evidence that “you ear what you eat” as well. In the current issue (June 2018) of the Journal of Nutrition, Sharon Curhan and colleagues examine the relationship between dietary patterns and risk of hearing loss in women. Leveraging data from the longitudinal Nurses’ Health Study, Curhan et al (2018) assessed dietary adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, the Alternative Healthy Eating In
It is alright if you missed the royal wedding. Meghan and Harry will understand. But perhaps you would like to visit London over the summer months. Take in the lingering sense of history and festival that just transpired in the form of a royal wedding. Well certainly you will have to plan meticulously for such a trip.
The Listening Project: Interview with Jane Madell, PhD
Jane Madell, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric hearing loss and spoken language. She has been on the front lines of advancing efforts in pediatric audiology and speech-language pathology for over 45 years. A few years ago, while giving a workshop she ran across the mother of a former patient, who happened to be the award-winning filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky. The serendipitous encounter resulted in The Listening Project, a documentary film about 15 deaf adults who were former pediatric patients of Dr. Madell.
Imagine Anna, a 20-year-old woman with a severe hearing loss. While in the waiting room of her audiologist's office, she notices a brochure. It asserts, “With our hearing aids, you will have a normal hearing!” As Anna reads these words, she becomes emotional as her dream has always been to hear like everyone else. Not surprisingly, Anna selects these hearing aids, but once she is fitted with them and experiences "less than normal" hearing, she leaves the office with tears of disappointment rather than tears of joy. This is a true story.
Cardiovascular health status is a commonly recognized determinant of hearing loss in adult populations. A recent study out of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has demonstrated pediatric populations are not immune to hearing-heart concerns. Madison et al. (2018) followed a group of 348 children that underwent infant surgery for congenital heart defects. The study team found that 21.6 percent of the children had hearing loss; risk was associated with pre-maturity, confirmed genetic anomaly, and longer postoperative length of stay.
As audiologists, we are uniquely aware that the elderly are disproportionally impacted by hearing loss and are aware of solutions that might be beneficial for those with hearing loss. Is this knowledge shared by all professionals who work with the elderly?
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) convened in Las Vegas, January 9-12, 2018. Roughly 4,000 exhibitors presented their latest technology and services to nearly 200,000 attendees from 150 countries in what has become the world’s largest electronics trade show. Participants were able to experience self-driving cars, 8K televisions, “smart” home accessories, biometric sensors, and, of course, hearables.
Hearing difficulty (HD) and tinnitus in the presence of normal audiometric thresholds represent a clinical challenge. So-called, hidden hearing loss (HHL) has captured significant interest from clinicians and researchers in attempts to understand factors that contribute to this phenomenon. Etiologies ranging from cochlear synaptopathy to central auditory processing deficits have been suggested. Most audiologists have come across these patients with complaints of hearing problems (particularly in noise) but normal hearing.
