Background

Hearing loss can occur following damage to different parts of our hearing system. Current tests can identify certain types of hearing loss, e.g. problems in the middle ear leading to conductive hearing loss. However, there is no way to distinguish hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or to the nerve that leads from the inner ear to the brain.

Aims

The long-term goals of this research are to develop clinical techniques that identify the locations of damage and can identify how healthy the rest of the ear is.  During this specific project, the researchers will first evaluate a technique, established in a previous RNID-funded project, in its ability to distinguish inner ear damage from nerve damage. Secondly, they will then test whether the technique can be used to estimate the number of nerves surviving in a damaged ear.

Benefit

This project will help to develop techniques that will allow clinicians to locate the site of damage within a person's ear. Knowing which parts of the ear are damaged is vital if we want to restore hearing in future – only if we can target treatment to the site of damage will we be able to cure hearing loss. This research will provide the clinical tools needed to diagnose hearing loss more accurately and choose the best options for each patient.