Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
09:44
Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
20.5K
"High frequency presbycusis"-is there an earlier onset?
B Arvin1, N Prepageran1, R Raman1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Summary
High-frequency hearing loss, or presbycusis, can begin earlier than thought. This study found significant high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss in adults as young as their 20s and 30s.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Gerontology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is typically understood to affect higher frequencies later in life.
- Previous research often focused on frequencies up to 8 kHz, potentially underestimating the early onset of hearing impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the early onset of presbycusis by including high-frequency audiometry (up to 16 kHz).
- To determine if significant high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss occurs earlier than previously believed in healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a tertiary referral center.
- Healthy adults aged 20–49 years with normal hearing underwent high-frequency pure tone audiometry (up to 16 kHz).
- Participants were grouped by age (20-29, 30-39, 40-49) to assess symmetrical high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss.
Main Results:
- Significant symmetrical high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss was observed in participants aged 40–49 years, unrelated to known risk factors.
- 16% of participants aged 20–29 and 50% aged 30–39 exhibited significant high-frequency hearing loss.
- The prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss increased notably with each decade of age.
Conclusions:
- High-frequency presbycusis may manifest much earlier than commonly recognized.
- Audiological assessments including frequencies above 8 kHz are crucial for detecting early-onset hearing loss.
- Further research is warranted to understand the implications and progression of early-onset high-frequency hearing loss.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:01Perception of Sound Waves
4.7K
The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
4.7K
01:21Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location
1.3K
The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...
1.3K
01:13The Cochlea
41.0K
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
41.0K
01:31Hearing
48.0K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
48.0K
01:15Auditory Pathway
7.1K
Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
7.1K
01:29Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
21
Alzheimer disease is a chronic, progressive, and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It leads to gradual neuronal loss, causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and loss of functional independence.Risk Factors and EtiologyThe disease is multifactorial. Age is the strongest risk factor, with prevalence doubling every 5 years after age 65. Genetic factors include mutations in genes such as APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, which are associated...
21