Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Why do mammals have three middle ear bones?
It is a question that has long perplexed paleontologists and auditory scientists – and mechanical engineer Sunil Puria, a consulting associate professor at Stanford: Why do mammals have three middle ear bones?
"Reptiles don't have them," Puria muses in his office in Durand Hall. "Birds don't have them. If you find a fossil in the field, the surest way to determine if it's a mammal is to look for those three ear bones. But why are they there? Why do we need them?"
Puria, whose research centers on middle and inner ear biomechanics, has begun focusing on this conundrum in earnest. If anyone can identify the precise biological imperative dictating mammalian ear structures, it could well be Puria. Auditory mysteries, to a very large degree, are his life; his latest research, for example, has led to a far more textured understanding of the role bone conduction plays in hearing.
Read more at this link.
Source: Stanford Report
"Reptiles don't have them," Puria muses in his office in Durand Hall. "Birds don't have them. If you find a fossil in the field, the surest way to determine if it's a mammal is to look for those three ear bones. But why are they there? Why do we need them?"
Puria, whose research centers on middle and inner ear biomechanics, has begun focusing on this conundrum in earnest. If anyone can identify the precise biological imperative dictating mammalian ear structures, it could well be Puria. Auditory mysteries, to a very large degree, are his life; his latest research, for example, has led to a far more textured understanding of the role bone conduction plays in hearing.
Read more at this link.
Source: Stanford Report
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Advantages of SoundBite for Single-sided Deafness
A new study in The Laryngoscope shows SoundBite™ offers advantages over traditional surgically-implanted devices for patients with Single-Sided Deafness.
The study, "The SoundBite Hearing System: Patient-Assessed Safety and Benefit Study," reports the experience of thirty-four patients who wore SoundBite regularly for six months. At the end of the trial period, patients completed a self-assessment and a standardized hearing aid benefit questionnaire.
At the six-month follow-up, 100% of patients stated they would likely recommend SoundBite to other patients with Single-Sided Deafness. 90% reported hearing improvement on their deaf side, and over 80% reported improved hearing in noisy situations and improved communication in group settings.
The study concludes that SoundBite offers advantages over many traditional devices in that it does not require surgical placement, and that it provides a high level of patient satisfaction over a six-month period of regular use.
An innovation in hearing-loss technology, SoundBite transmits sound using the well-established principle of bone conduction to restore the sensation of hearing in both ears. Unlike other devices that route sound through skull bones, SoundBite uses the patient's teeth to transfer sound from the impaired ear to the working ear. This system removes the need for a surgical implant in the skull which eliminates the costs and complications of surgery.
"This study shows that patient satisfaction with SoundBite is high. Since SoundBite does not require surgery, it offers an advantage to patients with Single-Sided Deafness that want to improve their hearing without the risk of surgical complications," said Clough Shelton, M.D. of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and co-author of the study.
In addition to not requiring surgery, there are several reasons to consider SoundBite for Single-Sided Deafness and Conductive Hearing Loss. SoundBite is nearly invisible and comfortable as each device is individually made. It is clinically proven to improve hearing, even in noise, and patients can continue to eat, drink, and bite down normally while wearing SoundBite.
To learn more, please visit www.sonitusmedical.com.
The study, "The SoundBite Hearing System: Patient-Assessed Safety and Benefit Study," reports the experience of thirty-four patients who wore SoundBite regularly for six months. At the end of the trial period, patients completed a self-assessment and a standardized hearing aid benefit questionnaire.
At the six-month follow-up, 100% of patients stated they would likely recommend SoundBite to other patients with Single-Sided Deafness. 90% reported hearing improvement on their deaf side, and over 80% reported improved hearing in noisy situations and improved communication in group settings.
The study concludes that SoundBite offers advantages over many traditional devices in that it does not require surgical placement, and that it provides a high level of patient satisfaction over a six-month period of regular use.
An innovation in hearing-loss technology, SoundBite transmits sound using the well-established principle of bone conduction to restore the sensation of hearing in both ears. Unlike other devices that route sound through skull bones, SoundBite uses the patient's teeth to transfer sound from the impaired ear to the working ear. This system removes the need for a surgical implant in the skull which eliminates the costs and complications of surgery.
"This study shows that patient satisfaction with SoundBite is high. Since SoundBite does not require surgery, it offers an advantage to patients with Single-Sided Deafness that want to improve their hearing without the risk of surgical complications," said Clough Shelton, M.D. of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and co-author of the study.
In addition to not requiring surgery, there are several reasons to consider SoundBite for Single-Sided Deafness and Conductive Hearing Loss. SoundBite is nearly invisible and comfortable as each device is individually made. It is clinically proven to improve hearing, even in noise, and patients can continue to eat, drink, and bite down normally while wearing SoundBite.
To learn more, please visit www.sonitusmedical.com.
Monday, 29 July 2013
Inner ear supporting cells protect hair cells by secreting HSP70
For audiologists and researchers:
Mechanosensory hair cells are the receptor cells of hearing and balance. Hair cells are sensitive to death from exposure to therapeutic drugs with ototoxic side effects, including aminoglycoside antibiotics and cisplatin. We recently showed that the induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inhibits ototoxic drug–induced hair cell death. Here, we examined the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of HSP70. In response to heat shock, HSP70 was induced in glia-like supporting cells but not in hair cells. Adenovirus-mediated infection of supporting cells with Hsp70 inhibited hair cell death. Coculture with heat-shocked utricles protected nonheat-shocked utricles against hair cell death. When heat-shocked utricles from Hsp70–/– mice were used in cocultures, protection was abolished in both the heat-shocked utricles and the nonheat-shocked utricles. HSP70 was detected by ELISA in the media surrounding heat-shocked utricles, and depletion of HSP70 from the media abolished the protective effect of heat shock, suggesting that HSP70 is secreted by supporting cells. Together our data indicate that supporting cells mediate the protective effect of HSP70 against hair cell death, and they suggest a major role for supporting cells in determining the fate of hair cells exposed to stress.
Journal of Clinical Investigation
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68480
Published July 25
Mechanosensory hair cells are the receptor cells of hearing and balance. Hair cells are sensitive to death from exposure to therapeutic drugs with ototoxic side effects, including aminoglycoside antibiotics and cisplatin. We recently showed that the induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) inhibits ototoxic drug–induced hair cell death. Here, we examined the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of HSP70. In response to heat shock, HSP70 was induced in glia-like supporting cells but not in hair cells. Adenovirus-mediated infection of supporting cells with Hsp70 inhibited hair cell death. Coculture with heat-shocked utricles protected nonheat-shocked utricles against hair cell death. When heat-shocked utricles from Hsp70–/– mice were used in cocultures, protection was abolished in both the heat-shocked utricles and the nonheat-shocked utricles. HSP70 was detected by ELISA in the media surrounding heat-shocked utricles, and depletion of HSP70 from the media abolished the protective effect of heat shock, suggesting that HSP70 is secreted by supporting cells. Together our data indicate that supporting cells mediate the protective effect of HSP70 against hair cell death, and they suggest a major role for supporting cells in determining the fate of hair cells exposed to stress.
Journal of Clinical Investigation
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68480
Published July 25
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