View clinical trials related to Deafness.
Filter by:sudden sensorineural hearing loss: - idiopathic in most cases - 5-20/100,000 new cases annually in the U.S - no establishes pathogenesis - treated with oral steroids in most cases - ~50% improvement in hearing levels - bed rest - acceptable treatment, not well investigated
The aim of the research is to investigate phonological processing in deafness and to examine its influence on the neuroanatomy of reading.The basic hypothesis is that insofar as the ability to read is closely related to the ability to segment and represent speech units, the neuroanatomy of reading in deaf would be different from the one of hearing readers.
Tinnitus associated to hearing loss is a high prevalent audiologic disorder with important unmet needs as far as therapy is concerned. The present study is exploring the possible beneficial effects on tinnitus loudness or annoyance of a combination drug treatment aimed to increase the local inhibitory activity of neural circuitries involved in sound perception and generation. Modest effects have been reported after 8-12 weeks treatment with antidepressants, including high dose paroxetine (up to 50 mg/day). Biologic data suggests that the combination of increase of extracellular serotonin using an SSRI and of blockade of NK1 receptors using a novel NK1 antagonist may lead to a reduced tinnitus and, possibly, improved hearing acuity. To this aim, two 14 day treatment conditions, i.e., SSRI paroxetine (20 mg/day) plus the NK1 antagonist vestipitant (25mg /day) or vestipitant alone (25 mg /day), will be compared to placebo in patients suffering from tinnitus previously selected for their capacity to reliably score the transient attenuation of tinnitus loudness produced by lidocaine infusion. Effects on principal endpoints will be collected within 4 hrs from last administration, when the plasma levels of vestipitant are calculated to be in the range associated to pharmacodynamic effects on VAS anxiety and qEEG (>30 ng/ml). PK, safety and tolerability of the paroxetine-vestipitant combination was addressed with preclinical and Phase I studies, showing no relevant issue. The cross-over study will require approximately 24 patients. Audiometry and computer-based Automated Psychoacoustics will be performed as instrumental endpoints to support subjective scores. A diary will be used at home to score tinnitus severity at home during the study.
This study is designed to check the effect of the use of the ear popper device on serous otitis media in children and on the conductive hearing loss accompanying the otitis. It is intended that 30 children aged 3-18 years will participate in the study. The inclusion criteria are : clinical serous otitis media for a duration of more then 3 months, a conductive hearing loss of at least 15 decibels air bone gap and tympanometry type B or C. The children will use the ear popper for 7 weeks. They will undergo otologic examination, audiometry and tympanometry at the beginning ao the trial, at 7 weeks and at 3 months from the beginning of the trial. The otologic findings and the audiometry and tympanometry results before and after the trial will be compared. We will try to determine whether the use of the ear popper in the test group will improve the conductive hearing loss and prevent the need for tympanostomy tube insertion.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of age-related cognitive changes on hearing aid benefit based on hearing aid compression time constants. The hypothesis is that people with poor working memory skills will benefit from slow time constants in hearing aid compression while those with good working memory skills will be able to benefit from more sophisticated compression algorithms with rapid time constants.
The primary complaint of individuals with hearing loss is difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise. Although hearing aids help individuals understand speech in background noise better, there is a high rate of hearing aid rejection in part due to continued difficulty understanding speech in complex listening situations. The results of this study may demonstrate that speech-in-noise test results can be a predictor of hearing aid success. The results of this study also may lead to further studies that can evaluate interventions to improve hearing aid success for individuals who are identified as unsuccessful hearing aid users.
Objective: One objective of this study is to genetically map and identify mutated genes for human hereditary hearing loss. A second objective is to study the function of these genes in the auditory system using mouse models. Human hereditary hearing impairment is the result of abnormal ear development, abnormal ear function or both. Although the genes for numerous deafness loci have been mapped and identified, there are still many families segregating deafness as a monogenic trait but a mutant allele can t be ascribed to one of the currently reported deafness genes . In order to map and identify novel mutated genes associated with hearing loss in humans, we will continue to ascertain large families segregating syndromic and nonsyndromic deafness as a monogenic trait. Study population: This study will ascertain subjects from consanguineous Pakistani families segregating hearing loss consisting of both nonsyndromic and syndromic forms of deafness of genetic etiology. Since a majority of Pakistani marriages are between first cousins, this tends to bring together the same recessive mutations for hearing loss with multiple affected individuals within single family lines, which is an advantage for this genetic study. A few years ago we stopped ascertaining families in India. We continue to ascertain both affected and unaffected Pakistani family members from age 2 years and up. Adults provide informed consent both for themselves and their children who agree to participate in this study. We will ascertain both genders and all Pakistani races and ethnicities. Design: Subjects will be screened and consented by our collaborating Associate Investigator in Pakistan. After consenting, the subjects will undergo a history and physical, audiological assessment and testing, vestibular assessment and testing, and blood and urine analysis tests, along with a blood sample or buccal swab sample that will be used for genomic DNA extraction. Probands at the time of ascertainment are initially assumed to have a form of nonsyndromic deafness. Additional tests may be performed depending on the history or physical of the individual or after the deafness gene is identified. Data from functional studies in animal models may also point to other concomitant clinical features along with hearing loss. These additional tests may include: photographs or videotapes of a subject s body and face; eye and vision examinations for those with suspected or known eyesight problems related to their genetic hearing loss mutations, and EKGs and/or Echocardiograms for those with suspected or known heart problems related to their genetic hearing loss mutations. Urine and blood analyses may be requested for those individuals with genetic nephritic issues or infertility. For example, when a deaf female individual in a family is subsequently discovered to have Perrault syndrome, a recessive disorder characterized by hearing loss (usually the initial manifestation) and ovarian dysgenesis/primary amenorrhea, additional evaluations would then be conducted for a definitive diagnosis of Perrault syndrome. Such an evaluation would include a pelvic ultrasound scan and measurements of serum estrogen and gonadotropins. Similarly, in some of these families, hearing impaired males may be asked about their fertility since the possibility of male infertility in families segregating Perrault syndrome remains an open question. For genetic analyses, genomic DNA extracted from a blood sample or a buccal swab from affected and unaffected members of families segregating hereditary hearing loss will be genetically screened with polymorphic markers (STRs or SNPs) for linkage to the known deafness loci. The hearing phenotype of children (>2 years old), adolescent and adult subjects will be assigned on the basis of performance from audiological examinations. Genomic DNA from families where deafness is found to be unlinked to the known deafness loci will then be used in genome wide screens with approximately 950,000 SNP markers distributed across the entire human genome to identify novel deafness loci. Alternatively, DNA samples from affected and unaffected individuals will undergo whole exome sequencing (WES) or whole genome sequencing (WGS) with a focus on potentially pathogenic variants located only in chromosomal regions of markers genetically linked to deafness. Subsequently, novel deafness genes will be positionally identified and their functions studied. Outcome measures: Novel deafness loci and genes associated with hearing loss will be identified and will provide new insight into mechanisms required for sound transduction in humans. Data from this study is likely to be the basis of commercially available tests for early diagnosis and timely genetic counseling for at risk couples as well as the development of strategies to preserve hearing and prevent hearing loss.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intratympanic continuous two-week application of dexamethasone compared to placebo using a temporarily implanted catheter in patients with severe to profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss and insufficient recovery after initial systemic prednisolone therapy.
Cochlear implants require programming on an individual basis to provide appropriate levels of electrical stimulation. This program, or "map", is placed in the speech processor of the cochlear implant. Success of implantation largely depends on the adequacy of this map. Cochlear implant fitting remains a difficult challenge in congenitally or pre-linguistically deafened children. It requires competence of experienced audiologists with expertise in behavioral techniques for hearing function assessment.Our goal is to establish the offset correlation between objective measurements (NRT and ESRT) and the behavioral measurements of T & Cs in different stimulation rates in the Freedom SP System.
This study evaluates whether a 2 hour group session, "The Living Well with Hearing Loss Workshop," can successfully teach hard of hearing people how to best use hearing aids and a variety of personal skills to compensate for the limitations of their impaired ears.