The Audiologist Informer

Three years of vestibular screening results in infants with SNHL indicate the highest risk for vestibular deficits in severe to profound hearing loss. Abnormal vestibular screening results were found in 13.8% (35 of 254) of the infants. Certain underlying etiologies of hearing loss, such as meningitis, syndromes, congenital cytomegalovirus, and cochleovestibular anomalies, were also associated with higher risk.

A large study of 61,958 participants aged 40 to 70 years from the UK Biobank showed an increasing number of healthy behaviors was associated with decreased risk of hearing loss. The healthy behaviors examined were: never smoking, high level of physical activity, high diet quality, moderate alcohol intake, and optimal sleep. For people not adhering to any of these five lifestyle behaviors, the population attributable risk percent was 15.6%.

A phase 1/2 clinical trial with OTO-413 has provided initial proof-of-concept for improved speech-in-noise hearing performance in subjects with hearing loss. From the data gathered to date, the authors report that OTO-413 has the potential to improve SIN function in subjects across a range of hearing disabilities, including those with normal audiograms and those with moderate to severe hearing loss.