Genetic variants in the peripheral auditory system significantly affect adult cochlear implant performance

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): A. Eliot Shearer, Robert W. Eppsteiner, Kathy Frees, Viral Tejani, Christina M. Sloan-Heggen, Carolyn Brown, Paul Abbas, Camille Dunn, Marlan R. Hansen, Bruce J. Gantz, Richard J.H. Smith
BackgroundCochlear implantation is an effective habilitation modality for adults with significant hearing loss. However, post-implant performance is variable. A portion of this variance in outcome can be attributed to clinical factors. Recent physiological studies suggest that the health of the spiral ganglion also impacts post-operative cochlear implant outcomes. The goal of this study was to determine whether genetic factors affecting spiral ganglion neurons may be associated with cochlear implant performance.MethodsAdults with post-lingual deafness who underwent cochlear implantation at the University of Iowa were studied. Pre-implantation evaluation included comprehensive genetic testing for genetic diagnosis. A novel score of genetic variants affecting genes with functional effects in the spiral ganglion was calculated. A Z-scored average of up to three post-operative speech perception tests (CNC, HINT, and AzBio) was used to assess outcome.ResultsGenetically determined spiral ganglion health affects cochlear implant outcomes, and when considered in conjunction with clinically determined etiology of deafness, accounts for 18.3% of the variance in postoperative speech recognition outcomes. Cochlear implant recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the cochlear sensory organ perform significantly better on tests of speech perception than recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the spiral ganglion.ConclusionEtiological diagnosis of deafness including genetic testing is the single largest predictor of postoperative speech outcomes in adult cochlear implant recipients. A detailed understanding of the genetic underpinning of hearing loss will better inform pre-implant counseling. The method presented here should serve as a guide for further research into the molecular physiology of the peripheral auditory system and cochlear implants.



from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kUuJAj
via IFTTT

Genetic variants in the peripheral auditory system significantly affect adult cochlear implant performance

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): A. Eliot Shearer, Robert W. Eppsteiner, Kathy Frees, Viral Tejani, Christina M. Sloan-Heggen, Carolyn Brown, Paul Abbas, Camille Dunn, Marlan R. Hansen, Bruce J. Gantz, Richard J.H. Smith
BackgroundCochlear implantation is an effective habilitation modality for adults with significant hearing loss. However, post-implant performance is variable. A portion of this variance in outcome can be attributed to clinical factors. Recent physiological studies suggest that the health of the spiral ganglion also impacts post-operative cochlear implant outcomes. The goal of this study was to determine whether genetic factors affecting spiral ganglion neurons may be associated with cochlear implant performance.MethodsAdults with post-lingual deafness who underwent cochlear implantation at the University of Iowa were studied. Pre-implantation evaluation included comprehensive genetic testing for genetic diagnosis. A novel score of genetic variants affecting genes with functional effects in the spiral ganglion was calculated. A Z-scored average of up to three post-operative speech perception tests (CNC, HINT, and AzBio) was used to assess outcome.ResultsGenetically determined spiral ganglion health affects cochlear implant outcomes, and when considered in conjunction with clinically determined etiology of deafness, accounts for 18.3% of the variance in postoperative speech recognition outcomes. Cochlear implant recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the cochlear sensory organ perform significantly better on tests of speech perception than recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the spiral ganglion.ConclusionEtiological diagnosis of deafness including genetic testing is the single largest predictor of postoperative speech outcomes in adult cochlear implant recipients. A detailed understanding of the genetic underpinning of hearing loss will better inform pre-implant counseling. The method presented here should serve as a guide for further research into the molecular physiology of the peripheral auditory system and cochlear implants.



from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kUuJAj
via IFTTT

Genetic variants in the peripheral auditory system significantly affect adult cochlear implant performance

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): A. Eliot Shearer, Robert W. Eppsteiner, Kathy Frees, Viral Tejani, Christina M. Sloan-Heggen, Carolyn Brown, Paul Abbas, Camille Dunn, Marlan R. Hansen, Bruce J. Gantz, Richard J.H. Smith
BackgroundCochlear implantation is an effective habilitation modality for adults with significant hearing loss. However, post-implant performance is variable. A portion of this variance in outcome can be attributed to clinical factors. Recent physiological studies suggest that the health of the spiral ganglion also impacts post-operative cochlear implant outcomes. The goal of this study was to determine whether genetic factors affecting spiral ganglion neurons may be associated with cochlear implant performance.MethodsAdults with post-lingual deafness who underwent cochlear implantation at the University of Iowa were studied. Pre-implantation evaluation included comprehensive genetic testing for genetic diagnosis. A novel score of genetic variants affecting genes with functional effects in the spiral ganglion was calculated. A Z-scored average of up to three post-operative speech perception tests (CNC, HINT, and AzBio) was used to assess outcome.ResultsGenetically determined spiral ganglion health affects cochlear implant outcomes, and when considered in conjunction with clinically determined etiology of deafness, accounts for 18.3% of the variance in postoperative speech recognition outcomes. Cochlear implant recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the cochlear sensory organ perform significantly better on tests of speech perception than recipients with deleterious genetic variants that affect the spiral ganglion.ConclusionEtiological diagnosis of deafness including genetic testing is the single largest predictor of postoperative speech outcomes in adult cochlear implant recipients. A detailed understanding of the genetic underpinning of hearing loss will better inform pre-implant counseling. The method presented here should serve as a guide for further research into the molecular physiology of the peripheral auditory system and cochlear implants.



from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kUuJAj
via IFTTT

Tinnitus Therapy Music

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a problem for many. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it is estimated that nearly 15% of the general public suffer from some degree of tinnitus. So, what causes this condition and what can you do about it?

What Causes Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is caused by a person’s exposure to noise. Most people who suffer from the condition have a variety of factors that culminate to cause the frequency of the condition and influence the severity of it. Common causes of tinnitus include exposure to constant loud noises at work (such as at a factory or construction site), leisure activities like concerts or listening to music, and those who use firearms for work or leisure activities. The frequency and severity of the condition is determined by the length of exposure to the noise and the decibel level of the sound when exposed.

How Can You Prevent Tinnitus?
The easiest way to prevent the onset of tinnitus is to wear the proper ear protection when you know you will be exposed to loud noise for a significant length of time. Even if you are already noticing the first signs of tinnitus, you can still prevent the condition for worsening by wearing proper ear protection in the future.

How Can Tinnitus be Treated?
Tinnitus is a treatable condition, though not currently curable. Depending on the severity of your tinnitus, there may be a range of treatment options that will help significantly reduce the presence of tinnitus symptoms. Some of the commonly recommended treatments for tinnitus include:

• maintaining general wellness
• use of hearing aids
• behavior therapy
• prescription medications
• tinnitus therapy music

Therapy Music for Tinnitus
For sufferers that want to reduce the amount of ringing in the ears just by listening to music, tinnitus therapy music can be the answer. This type of therapy offers customized music to tinnitus sufferers that will reduce the loudness of tinnitus they suffer from. Tinnitus therapy music works by finding the frequency of the ringing in your ears and eliminating the octave around your tinnitus tone. This will reduce the ringing that you hear, and over time may continue to reduce the ringing that your experience. The best part for you is that with the right technology you can use this therapy with your favorite songs to help treat your hearing condition.

If you suffer from tinnitus, it can be an annoying part of your daily life. However, with the right treatment, you can reduce you symptoms and continue to live without the burden of constant ringing in the ears.

---

from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kKZNjw
via IFTTT

The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease

Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Elinor C. Harrison, Marie E. McNeely, Gammon M. Earhart
Brain regions important for controlling movement are also responsible for rhythmic processing. In Parkinson disease (PD), defective internal timing within the brain has been linked to impaired beat discrimination, and may contribute to a loss of ability to maintain a steady gait rhythm. Less rhythmic gait is inherently less efficient, and this may lead to gait impairment including reduced speed, cadence, and stride length, as well as increased variability. While external rhythmic auditory stimulation (e.g. a metronome beat) is well-established as an effective tool to stabilize gait in PD, little is known about whether self-generated cues such as singing have the same beneficial effect on gait in PD. Thus, we compared gait patterns of 23 people with mild to moderate PD under five cued conditions: uncued, music only, singing only, singing with music, and a verbal dual-task condition. In our singlesession study, singing while walking did not significantly alter velocity, cadence, or stride length, indicating that it was not excessively demanding for people with PD. In addition, walking was less variable when singing than during other cued conditions. This was further supported by the comparison between singing trials and a verbal dual-task condition. In contrast to singing, the verbal dual-task negatively affected gait performance. These findings suggest that singing holds promise as an effective cueing technique that may be as good as or better than traditional cueing techniques for improving gait among people with PD.



from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kS3tSN
via IFTTT

The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease

Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Elinor C. Harrison, Marie E. McNeely, Gammon M. Earhart
Brain regions important for controlling movement are also responsible for rhythmic processing. In Parkinson disease (PD), defective internal timing within the brain has been linked to impaired beat discrimination, and may contribute to a loss of ability to maintain a steady gait rhythm. Less rhythmic gait is inherently less efficient, and this may lead to gait impairment including reduced speed, cadence, and stride length, as well as increased variability. While external rhythmic auditory stimulation (e.g. a metronome beat) is well-established as an effective tool to stabilize gait in PD, little is known about whether self-generated cues such as singing have the same beneficial effect on gait in PD. Thus, we compared gait patterns of 23 people with mild to moderate PD under five cued conditions: uncued, music only, singing only, singing with music, and a verbal dual-task condition. In our singlesession study, singing while walking did not significantly alter velocity, cadence, or stride length, indicating that it was not excessively demanding for people with PD. In addition, walking was less variable when singing than during other cued conditions. This was further supported by the comparison between singing trials and a verbal dual-task condition. In contrast to singing, the verbal dual-task negatively affected gait performance. These findings suggest that singing holds promise as an effective cueing technique that may be as good as or better than traditional cueing techniques for improving gait among people with PD.



from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kS3tSN
via IFTTT

The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease

Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Elinor C. Harrison, Marie E. McNeely, Gammon M. Earhart
Brain regions important for controlling movement are also responsible for rhythmic processing. In Parkinson disease (PD), defective internal timing within the brain has been linked to impaired beat discrimination, and may contribute to a loss of ability to maintain a steady gait rhythm. Less rhythmic gait is inherently less efficient, and this may lead to gait impairment including reduced speed, cadence, and stride length, as well as increased variability. While external rhythmic auditory stimulation (e.g. a metronome beat) is well-established as an effective tool to stabilize gait in PD, little is known about whether self-generated cues such as singing have the same beneficial effect on gait in PD. Thus, we compared gait patterns of 23 people with mild to moderate PD under five cued conditions: uncued, music only, singing only, singing with music, and a verbal dual-task condition. In our singlesession study, singing while walking did not significantly alter velocity, cadence, or stride length, indicating that it was not excessively demanding for people with PD. In addition, walking was less variable when singing than during other cued conditions. This was further supported by the comparison between singing trials and a verbal dual-task condition. In contrast to singing, the verbal dual-task negatively affected gait performance. These findings suggest that singing holds promise as an effective cueing technique that may be as good as or better than traditional cueing techniques for improving gait among people with PD.



from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kS3tSN
via IFTTT