View clinical trials related to Deafness.
Filter by:Tumors arising from the VIIIth Nerve (vestibulo-cochlear nerve) typically present with progressive unilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. VIIIth Nerve tumors with documented growth on serial MRI scans typically lead to deafness in the affected ear over time. Radiation (Gamma Knife® or stereotactic radiosurgery) may preserve hearing in ~80% while surgery (middle cranial fossa or retrosigmoid approach) may preserve hearing in 16 - 40% of small tumors, although initial hearing preservation by both modalities may fail over time. Surgical resection via the translabyrinthine approach is the safest way to remove many of these tumors, but involves loss of all hearing. In all treatment modalities, the vascular supply (the labyrinthine artery, a terminal branch of AICA with no collaterals) to the cochlea is at risk. After devascularization, the cochlea frequently fills with fibrous tissue or ossifies (labyrinthitis ossificans), making it impossible to place a cochlear implant should it be required later. The incidence of this is 46% in our patients. This study seeks to determine the feasibility of preserving the cochlear duct with an obdurator so that patients undergoing translabyrinthine removal of VIIIth nerve tumors may retain the option of a cochlear implant at a later time.
The number of patients with cochlear implants increases every year, constituting an active queue increasingly important (60 new cases per year in Toulouse, active list in 2013: 380 adult patients). The number of approved cochlear implant centers is limited by guardianships, and corresponds to the Hospitals University. It is not possible to create networks of correspondents. Teams of implantation centers must meet the needs of new patients and ensure continuity of care for patients already implanted: speech therapy monitoring, adjustment and rehabilitation. In case of malfunction of the implant, patients use in first-line reference center. The increasing number of patients leads to a lack of specialized teams that can not meet the demands of patients in a timely manner, while continuing to provide support for new patients. It is therefore necessary to find solutions to improve the service provided to patients who received a cochlear implant system to respond quickly and effectively to the request of troubled patients, while optimizing the workload of the teams . The introduction of a telemedicine platform is expected to achieve these goals, distinguishing minor malfunctions, not requiring a consultation in a center, and the most complex situations requiring consultation in a center.
Single sided deafness (SSD) refers to asymmetrical hearing loss, where there is a significant worsening of hearing in one ear compared to the other. In Cambridge, the investigators see large numbers of patients with SSD caused by vestibular schwannomas, due to their affiliation with the Neuro-Otology Department, with over 100 new SSD patients being referred every year. Only a small number of studies have explored hearing handicap for those with SSD, and music appreciation has not been investigated, to the best of the investigators knowledge, in this patient group. In the limited number of studies conducted on those with single sided deafness, often only one or two outcome measures have been used, or the patient group has been small. The investigators have a large group of patients with a wide range of aetiologies who have completed several questionnaires as part of their treatment in the single sided deafness clinic and the investigators would like to analyse these data. At present there are different devices available on the NHS for the management of SSD and many studies have explored benefits of Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA). There is an under-representation of studies looking specifically at CROS aid devices which is relevant given the cost differences involved between devices. Study goals and objectives - To find out what factors drive hearing handicap in SSD patients by analysing the results of several different well validated hearing handicap questionnaires - To find out whether or not it is possible to change hearing handicap in this patient group by looking to see if there is an improvement in questionnaire scores post treatment. - The investigators will also look at a sub-group who will be fitted with both traditional wired CROS aids and more up-to-date wireless aids which have been funded through a research grant, in order to assess whether these are more beneficial. - The investigators will use a new questionnaire developed in-house to further explore the impact of single sided deafness on music appreciation.
Noise-induced hearing loss affects an estimated 5% of the worldwide population, with 30-40 million Americans exposed to hazardous sound or noise levels regularly. Sources of noise may be occupational, blast noise, or recreational. Trauma to the inner ear can occur through transient hearing loss or permanent hearing loss. Although hearing recovers after temporary transient hearing loss, growing evidence suggests that repeated temporary transient hearing loss may lead to a permanent hearing loss. Currently, there are no treatments and there are no known medications that can be used clinically to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in humans. The long-term goal of this research is to find medications that can prevent noise-induced hearing loss. The purpose of the present pilot study is to evaluate zonisamide and methylprednisolone as medications to prevent temporary transient hearing loss in humans.
In France the indication of bilateral cochlear implant (CI) is limited to specific cases. The impact on perception and language of bilateral CI simultaneous versus sequential has to be established before discussing the enlargement of indications.
The objectives of this study are: 1. To see if autologous human umbilical cord blood treatment is safe for children with acquired hearing loss, and 2. To determine if late functional outcome is improved following autologous human umbilical cord blood treatment for children with acquired hearing loss.
A bone-anchored hearing aid (Baha) consists of a titanium implant located at the mastoid, and a sound processor connected with the implant. The sound processor delivers bone conducted stimuli to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. Some patients who are unable to wear or do not benefit from a conventional air-conduction hearing aid, are candidate for a Baha. Typically, these patients suffer from a conductive or a mixed hearing loss. Recently however, Baha's are also being recommended in patients with unilateral deafness. Sound coming from the deaf side is captured and transmitted through bone conduction to the normal inner ear. The overall benefit of a Baha is more difficult to assess in those patients. Therefore, the goal of the current study is to examine the benefit of a Baha in patients with different audiological profiles (unilateral or bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss, and unilateral deafness). Special attention will be given to predictive determinants of the benefit with a Baha, and to the improvement of pre-operative criteria and counseling of patients.
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) occurs in 1:4000 live births. Neurological disturbances like speech delay, motor delay and lower IQ were reported in children with CH. Evidence from animal experiments indicate that CH is associated with high frequency of deafness. Morphological changes of the external and internal cholera hairs were reported in mutagenic mice with CH. Anatomical changes of the internal ear and low hearing threshold were reported in mice bearing Dual oxidase 2 (Duox2) gene mutations, which is responsible of oxidation of iodide. Knockout of Pax8 gene in mice resulted in both agenesis of thyroid gland and deafness. Early L-thyroxin therapy prevented the development of deafness in those mice. The expression of thyroid receptor α (TRα) in the external and internal cholera hairs in mice indicates that the thyroid hormones have an important role in the development of the internal ear. The etiology of deafness in human is both genetic and environmental. The prevalence of deafness in live births is 1:1000 and among them 60% is genetic. Connexin 26 gene mutations are the most common cause of inherited deafness and account for about 40% of the genetic cases. In two conditions in human the coexistence of hypothyroidism and deafness were reported; Pendred syndrome and thyroid hormone resistance syndrome. The prevalence of hearing loss in human with CH was explored in only few studies and the results are contrary. The aim of the current study is to study the prevalence of hearing loss among children with CH and to compare the clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics between subjects with hearing loss to those without hearing loss.
The aim of this study is to investigate short and long term consequences from early postnatal HCMV infection transmitted via human milk in very preterm infants (birth weight < 1500 g or gestational age < 32 weeks). These infants are at high risk of early death or survival with chronic disease and neurodevelopmental impairment if infected with HCMV. Infection is a common complication in this group of patients and reported to be the most frequent cause of death after the second week of life. Systemic infection in the newborn period is reported as representing an independent risk factor for survival with neurodevelopmental impairment among very preterm infants.
This study measures sounds produced by the sensory receptors of the inner ear called hair cells. These sounds are called otoacoustic emissions and one special case the investigators are studying are called distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) produced by presenting two tones to the ear. If the ear is damaged by noise exposure DPOAEs are reduced. In this study the investigators are attempting to improve the DPOAE test by adding a third tone to make the test more frequency specific. Whether the third tone helps will be determined by comparing DPOAEs collected with and without the third tone to clinical audiograms. If the addition of the third tone helps then the investigators expect DPOAEs tracked as a function of frequency (DP-grams) will more closely match the clinical audiograms.