Genetics Play Role in Hearing Loss
Posted on: Wednesday, 14 November 2007, 21:00 CST
Genes play a significant role in age-related hearing loss, a study at Brandeis University in Massachusetts showed.
The research, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, considered genetic and environmental factors affecting hearing loss with regard to speech recognition, the university in Waltham said Wednesday in a news release.
This research confirms the importance of genetic factors in age-associated hearing loss, and the need for vulnerable individuals and their families to take extra care to prevent further hearing damage, said Arthur Wingfield, lead author and a neuroscientist at Brandeis.
The study examined 179 identical and 150 fraternal male twin pairs, ages 52 to 60, as part of the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. About two-thirds of the hearing loss in the subjects' better ears could be attributed to genetic factors. In the subjects' poorer ears, about one-half of the hearing loss was genetic, the study concluded.
Wingfield said even mild hearing loss can indirectly lead to drop-offs in cognitive performance because intellectual energy normally used for higher-level comprehension must be re-directed toward efforts to accurately hear someone talk.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- Genetic Mutation A Strong Indicator Of Age-Related Hearing Loss Risk
- Hearing loss studies find new genetic link
- Sound Pharmaceuticals Wins FDA Approval for Phase II Hearing Loss Study
- New Research on Cataract Prevalence, Alternative Glaucoma Therapies Online, Seatbelts Vs. Airbags, and Hearing Loss in Glaucoma Patients
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine Study Shows Isolation of Cochlear Stem Cells May Lead to a Treatment for Hearing Loss
- Study: Folic Acid May Slow Hearing Loss
- Adherex in Agreement for Pediatric Hearing Loss Study
- Genetic Link Found to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Genetics and Hearing Loss
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds