View clinical trials related to Deafness.
Filter by:This trial aims to compare the efficacy of oral prednisone vs. methylprednisolone injected into the middle ear for the treatment of moderate-to-severe, sudden sensorineural hearing loss (inner ear hearing loss affecting one ear that occurs over less than 72 hours).
The short-term research objectives of the proposed study are as follows: 1. To measure the effects of audiological intervention on selected domain specific (i.e., Communicative, Interpersonal, and Social roles) and overall functioning using the WHO-DASII, a generic health measure conceptually grounded in the ICIDH-2 model of disablement and functioning. 2. To measure the effects of audiological intervention on selected domain specific (i.e., Role Functioning-Emotional; and, Social Functioning) and overall functioning using the MOS-SF36V, a generic health measure currently utilized in the Veteran's Health Administration. 3. To determine the accuracy with which measures of audibility (SII), hearing handicap (HHIE), and, hearing disability (APHAB) predict domain specific and overall functioning, and life-satisfaction as measured by the WHO-DASII and the MOS-SF36V will be evaluated. 4. To compare hearing aid treatment effects as measured by changes in WHO-DASII domain specific and overall functioning scores to those measured by changes in disease specific instruments examining similar constructs. 5. To compare hearing aid treatment effects as measured by changes in MOS-SF36V domain specific and overall functioning scores to those measured by changes in disease specific instruments examining similar constructs. 6. To determine and compare cost-effectiveness of hearing aid intervention as calculated using WHO-DASII and MOS SF-36V outcome data. The long-term research objective is to compare the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of audiologic intervention with those of other health care interventions commonly associated with the veteran population (e.g. mental health, cardiology, pulmonary, orthopedic, etc.).
This study will try to identify the genetic causes of hereditary hearing loss or balance disorders. People with a hearing or balance disorder that affects more than one family member may be eligible for this study. They and their immediate family members may undergo some or all of the following procedures: - Medical and family history, including questions about hearing, balance and other ear-related issues, and review of medical records. - Routine physical examination. - Blood draw or buccal swab (brushing inside the cheek to collect cells) - Tissue is collected for DNA analysis to look for changes in genes that may be related to hearing loss. - Hearing tests - The subject listens for tones emitted through a small earphone. - Balance tests to see if balance functions of the inner ear are associated with the hearing loss In one test the subject wears goggles and watches moving lights while cold or warm air is blown into the ears. A second test involves sitting in a spinning chair in a quiet, dark room. - Photograph - A photograph may be taken as a record of eye shape and color, distance between the eyes, and hair color. - Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans - These tests show the structure of the inner ear. For CT, the subject lies still for a short time while X-ray images are obtained. For MRI, the patient lies on a stretcher that is moved into a cylindrical machine with a strong magnetic field. The magnetic field and radio waves produce images of the inner ear. The radio waves cause loud thumping noises that can be muffled by the use of earplugs.
The purpose of this study is to determine if individuals with diabetes are at increased risk of hearing impairment or tinnitus (the perception of ringing or noises in the ears or head). An important goal of this research is also to obtain a better understanding of possible interactions between hearing disorders and other chronic conditions, such as diabetes. Participation in this research will be for a few hours only, to be scheduled at the participant's convenience and according to the testing schedules of the different clinics involved.
Hearing loss and loss of vision can be very harmful to the well-being and life of people who suffer from them. Usher syndrome is the name of a disease where people have both hearing loss and visual loss. In fact more than half of people who are deaf and blind have Usher syndrome. In this study we are trying to find the causes of all types of Usher syndrome and to learn more about how the eyes and ears work. Usher syndrome is caused by changes in our genes that lead to mistakes in the functioning of our eyes and ears. We may conduct hearing tests called audiograms to test hearing and a vision test called an electroretinogram (ERG) to test how well the retina (the part of your eye that senses light) is working on participants in the study. From these tests we can tell what kind of Usher syndrome a participant may have. We will then get DNA from participants by drawing blood. The DNA will be studied, along with DNA from members of the participant's family and other families, to try to find the gene that is causing Usher syndrome in the participant. Once the gene is found we will be able to study it to learn more about how the eyes and ears work. If a subject has already been diagnosed we may just need copies of their medical records and blood can be drawn locally. In order to increase the power of the study and the likelihood of detecting relevant genes participants will be taken from the Ashkenazi Jewish population group only. This will make it much easier to find the genes.
Tinnitus is a prevalent issue for veterans who are proportionally more hearing-impaired than the civilian population. This study will be conducted as three concurrent projects designed to develop an efficient clinical technique to quantify tinnitus perception: (1)Laboratory development of the automated technique for comprehensive tinnitus quantification;(2)Development of a technique to test for tinnitus "malingering"; and (3)Evaluation of the automated technique in the clinical environment.
The long-term goal of this research program is to develop methods to predict both the benefit and the satisfaction that hearing-impaired patients will derive from auditory amplification in daily life. This proposal has three primary objectives: (1) To determine the influence of extra-audiological variables, such as personality attributes and expectations, on the subjective outcomes of hearing aid fittings, (2) To establish a scientific basis for selection, administration, and interpretation of self-report measures of hearing aid fitting outcome, (3) To resolve the long-standing debate about the efficacy of using clinically measured loudness perception data in hearing aid prescriptions.
The effects of talker variability will be investigated with four groups of listeners (young normal-hearing; old normal-hearing; young hearing-impaired; old hearing-impaired). Experimental conditions will include between-talker differences, speaking rate, lexical difficult and semantic/linguistic context. A preliminary experiment will evaluate the relative merit of adaptive vs fixed-level methods of stimulus presentation.
This study will examine the hereditary basis of tone deafness by identifying regions of the human genome linked to this condition. Both exceptionally good pitch recognition (perfect pitch) and exceptionally poor pitch recognition (tone deafness) run in families. A better understanding of what causes tone deafness may provide new insights into auditory (hearing) function. Individuals with two or more family members 15 years of age or older who are tone deaf or have trouble recognizing different melodies may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a short listening test for pitch and a short written test. Those identified with poor pitch recognition will fill out a brief questionnaire about their family tree and family members (without identifying names) who have trouble recognizing melodies or tones. Individuals with poor pitch recognition will be asked to help contact family members who may be interested in participating. Members of families with two or more first-degree relatives (parents, grandparents, siblings) who are tone deaf may enroll in the study. They will provide a blood sample (about 2 tablespoons) for genetic studies and may take a 20-minute hearing test using headphones.
The human brain is made up of two halves called hemispheres. Each half of the brain is responsible for processing different kinds of information. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that both the right and left hemispheres are involved when processing information given in American Sign Language (ASL). However, the study also showed that when processing spoken language, the left hemisphere was mostly involved. Researchers would like to find out more about how the brain processes American Sign Language (ASL). This study is designed to determine if the right hemisphere is necessary for normal understanding of ASL.