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Hidden Age-Related Hearing Loss and Hearing Disorders: Current Knowledge and Future Directions
Richard Salvi1, Dalian Ding1, Haiyan Jiang1
1Center for Hearing and Deafness, 137 Cary Hall, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214 USA.
Hearing, Balance and Communication
|April 2, 2019
Summary
Age-related hearing loss is common in older adults. Testing hearing in noise, not just quiet, reveals hidden deficits and suggests N-acetyl cysteine may protect against inner ear damage.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age-related hearing loss affects 35% of individuals over 70.
- Hearing deficits are often more pronounced in noisy environments.
- Damage to inner hair cells (IHCs) and type I neurons may cause difficulties in understanding speech in noise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of noise on hearing assessments in the elderly.
- To evaluate tone-in-noise thresholds as a measure of IHC/type I neuron damage.
- To explore N-acetyl cysteine as a potential therapeutic agent for age-related hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Utilized carboplatin-treated chinchillas to assess tone-in-noise thresholds.
- Compared hearing thresholds in quiet and broadband noise between elderly and young subjects.
- Reviewed existing animal model data on N-acetyl cysteine's protective effects.
Main Results:
- Tone-in-noise thresholds proved sensitive and frequency-dependent for detecting IHC/type I system damage.
- Elderly subjects with normal quiet hearing showed worse thresholds in noise compared to young subjects.
- N-acetyl cysteine demonstrated protective effects against IHC loss in animal models.
Conclusions:
- Tone detection in broadband noise is an efficient method for identifying specific frequency deficits.
- Hearing assessments in noise are crucial for accurately diagnosing age-related hearing loss.
- N-acetyl cysteine supplementation may offer a viable therapeutic strategy for preserving auditory function.
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