Hearing Loss News and Research

Latest Hearing Loss News and Research

Hearing loss is linked to income loss

Sonic Innovations (http://sonici.com), a U.S.-based digital hearing aid manufacturer, warns Americans who ignore a hearing loss are also losing income. A study from the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) (http://betterhearing.org), a non-profit corporation that educates the public about the neglected problem of hearing loss and what can be done about it, gives the numbers.

26 Aug 2009

Hiberix receives accelerated approval from FDA to overcome nationwide shortage

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Hiberix, a Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib) vaccine, as a booster dose for children 15 months through 4 years old. Hiberix is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, with U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C. and Philadelphia.

26 Aug 2009

University of Southern California's gerontology students participate in an interactive senior sensitivity training program

Gerontology students at University of Southern California had an opportunity to "become senior citizens" on Friday thanks to Trading Ages(TM), an interactive senior sensitivity training program sponsored by SCAN Health Plan.

24 Aug 2009

Gene discovery unveils a new protein that protects against hearing loss

Discovery of a deafness-causing gene defect in mice has helped identify a new protein that protects sensory cells in the ear, according to a study by University of Iowa and Kansas State University researchers. The findings appear in the August 21 issue of the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

24 Aug 2009

Oticon Medical to globally market the FDA approved Ponto bone anchored hearing system

Oticon Medical, a global medical device company within the William Demant Group, announced today that it has obtained 501(k) clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market the innovative Ponto bone anchored hearing system.

20 Aug 2009

InterMune receives $20 million event payment from Roche for initiating the Phase 2b trial of RG7227/ ITMN-191

Roche (SIX: ROG.VX; RO.S, OTCQX: RHHBY) and InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2b study evaluating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, RG7227/ ITMN-191, in combination with PEGASYS(R) (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) and COPEGUS(R) (ribavirin). The study, to be conducted at 45 sites globally, will further define the safety and efficacy profile of RG7227/ ITMN-191, for a treatment duration of up to 24 weeks. Approximately 300 treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 - the most difficult to treat form of the virus - will participate.

20 Aug 2009

The Gambia introduces pneumococcal immunisation programme

The Gambia, Minister of Health Dr. Mariatou Jallow administered the first dose of the pneumococcal vaccine to Gambian children at a rural clinic outside Banjul today. Joined by the Gambia’s Vice President, Mrs. Isatou Njie-Saidy, Dr. Jallow and hundreds of Gambian citizens celebrated this historic event, which marks the first step in the rollout of the Gambia’s national pneumococcal immunisation programme.

19 Aug 2009

Brain's motor and perception regions disconnected in tone-deaf people

Nerve fibers that link perception and motor regions of the brain are disconnected in tone-deaf people, according to new research in the August 19 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population may be tone deaf - unable to sing in tune. The new finding identifies a particular brain circuit that appears to be absent in these individuals.

19 Aug 2009

New understanding on meningitis cause

A specific protein on the surface of a common bacterial pathogen allows the bacteria to leave the bloodstream and enter the brain, initiating the deadly infection known as meningitis. The new finding, which may guide development of improved vaccines to protect those most vulnerable, including young infants and the elderly, is now available online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

19 Aug 2009

Warning signs of hearing loss in kids

When you think back on your childhood, chances are there's a rich montage of sights and sounds that comes to mind. But, imagine if you couldn't have heard the ding of the ice cream truck or the sound of a barking dog – how would that have impacted the experiences of your youth?

6 Aug 2009

New software for cochlear implants and hearing aids

Hearing aids and cochlear implants act as tiny amplifiers so the deaf and hard-of-hearing can make sense of voices and music. Unfortunately, these devices also amplify background sound, so they're less effective in a noisy environment like a busy workplace or cafe.

5 Aug 2009

Repeated stress signals made in cells with metabolism-associated disease encourage the growth of invading bacteria

Mitochondrial diseases disrupt the power generating machinery within cells and increase a person's susceptibility to bacterial infection, particularly in the lungs or respiratory tract.

28 Jul 2009

Phthalates may play a role in pre-term births

A new study of expectant mothers suggests that a group of common environmental contaminants called phthalates, which are present in many industrial and consumer products including everyday personal care items, may contribute to the country's alarming rise in premature births.

6 Jul 2009

Breakthrough in combating adverse side-effects associated with quinine

Discovered back in the 1600s quinine was the first effective treatment in the fight against malaria - and it continues to be a commonly used treatment against this devastating disease. But the drug is associated with a long list of side effects which can range from sickness and headaches to blindness, deafness and in rare cases death - and until now no one knew why.

29 Jun 2009

Migraines with aura in middle age associated with late-life brain lesions

Women who suffer from migraine headaches in middle age accompanied by neurological aura (visual disturbances, dizziness or numbness that can precede migraines) are more likely to have damage to brain tissue in the cerebellum later in life, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the Icelandic Heart Association in Reykjavik.

23 Jun 2009

A bionic broadband ear

MIT engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals.

3 Jun 2009

Citalopram no more effective than a placebo for children with autism spectrum disorders

Citalopram, a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other NIH institutes. The study was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

1 Jun 2009

Discovery of faulty genes could reveal risk of Paget's disease

The discovery of faulty genes by Edinburgh researchers could help people with Paget's disease, a painful bone condition. Dr Omar Albagha has found three genes associated with the disease which, if detected early enough in people, could hasten diagnosis and treatment.

26 May 2009

Inner ear balance disorders common, linked to falls among American seniors

An estimated 35 percent of U.S. adults age 40 and older have vestibular dysfunction (inner ear balance disorders), and those who do may have a higher risk of falling, according to a report in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 May 2009

Good advice for a healthy pregnancy

Women can increase their chances for a healthy pregnancy by eating right, exercising, not smoking, and getting early medical care, says a podcast featuring a National Institutes of Health obstetrician who oversees research on pregnancy and birth.

20 May 2009