CAUSES OF HEARING LOSS AND AUDITORY NEUROPATHY...VIDEO ON CUED SPEECH

Causes of Deafness (lifted from About.com:Deafness...love Jamie Berke, strong, passionate, intelligent voice, check out her blog!)


What Makes People Deaf

Acoustic Neurinoma
Basic facts on acoustic neurinoma, a lesser known cause of hearing loss.
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED)
Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease is examined in this feature. Forum members also discuss AIED.
Auditory Neuropathy
Auditory Neuropathy, a can-hear/can't hear condition.
Bombing and Deafness
After the war ends, audiologists may be in high demand.
CHARGE Syndrome A look at this relatively rare syndrome, and the resources available to parents of diagnosed children.
Cytomegalovirus and Deafness
Congenital cytomegalovirus is one of the more common causes of hearing loss, and is almost as damaging as rubella.
Connexin 26
If you are in a family with hereditary hearing loss, or have a deaf child and don't know what caused it, it could very well be due to the Connexin 26 mutation.
Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome
Enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome, also known as LVAS, is a fairly common condition causing hearing loss.
Genetics and Hearing Loss
Genetic research into deafness and hearing loss is often in the news these days, with exciting progress being made. This article refers to useful resources for learning more about genetic/hereditary hearing loss.
Glue Ear - Common Cause of Hearing Loss
A look at this fairly common cause of temporary conductive hearing loss.
Goldenhar Syndrome
A look at this fairly rare facial disorder, which has hearing loss as one of its many characteristics.
Hair Cell Regeneration
Is a cure for deafness possible in our lifetimes? Guest article on one promising technology, hair cell regeneration.
Meniere's Disease
Meniere's Disease, which includes hearing loss among its symptoms, is not a fun thing to live with, but there is no shortage of people to turn to for support.
Meningitis
A look at this deadly illness, that if survived, often deafens the victim.
Mondini Syndrome
A malformation of the cochlea, causing hearing losses of varying degrees.
Growing Up Deaf - Rubella
Otosclerosis This hearing loss-related condition can be treated with surgery.
Ototoxicity
Before the doctor prescribes a drug for you, you might want to double-check to make sure the drug is not ototoxic, in order to protect whatever hearing you have left.
Presbycusis (or Age-Related Hearing Loss)
As we age, we are at greater risk for hearing loss.
Sudden Deafness
Not everyone is born with hearing impairment - sometimes it happens all of a sudden, without warning.
Tinnitus - Problem Associated with Hearing Loss
Ringing in the ears.
TMJ and Hearing Loss
TMJ is one of the lesser-known causes of hearing loss.
Treacher Collins Syndrome
Relatively rare disorder that causes both hearing loss and facial disfigurement.
Usher Syndrome - Deafblindness Cause
This syndrome can cause a person to be deaf and/or can cause a loss of vision.
Waardenburg Syndrome - Cause of Hearing Loss
One of the better-known genetic causes of deafness.

What I was interested in learning more about was AUDITORY NEUROPATHY: Auditory neuropathy is a condition in which the cochlea appears to function normally, but there is a problem with the nerves so that sound can not be normally processed and the auditory brainstem response (ABR) is missing or abnormal. A child with auditory neuropathy may appear to hear one day and not hear the next. This can frustrate parents and make a definite diagnosis more difficult.

I've read posts from a variety of parents on my other favorite yahoo support group LISTEN-UP and wanted to learn more about it, so I checked my deaf Bible site, about.com:deafness and this was the definition. I also learned that there is a support group on yahoogroups.com specifically for this type of deafness, to subscribe click here. I also found the following information in regard to Auditory Neuropathy and Cochlear Implants, I was just curious because I know that cochlear implants are not a solution for all degrees and types of deafness:

Auditory Neuropathy
Auditory neuropathy is not a type of hearing loss but a dysfunction in the hearing system in which the auditory nerves do not respond to sound in a coordinated fashion.
Symptoms seen in auditory neuropathy include the following:

Hearing test suggests a mild to moderate hearing loss
Absent acoustic reflexes
Absent or severely abnormal auditory brainstem responses
Word recognition ability poorer than expected for the amount of pure tone hearing loss
However, a major distinguishing feature is that in these patients otoacoustic emissions are present suggesting near normal cochlea function.
In auditory neuropathy the cochlea hair cells are responding to sound, but the auditory nerve does not transmit the signals to the brain in a coordinated, useful fashion. Since the cochlea is working in these patients a hearing aid is not appropriate since the ear does not need more volume of sound. In severe cases of auditory neuropathy a cochlear implant can be effective in synchronizing the auditory signal.
Check out Karen's Blog that features an entry on a child named Matthew who has Auditory Neuropathy and has just undergone cochlear implant surgery.
To read more about Matthew, click here to read an article from the Hands and Voices publication THE COMMUNICATOR.
THIS VIDEO DISCUSSES CUED SPEECH AND GIVES AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE USE OF CUED SPEECH HAS HELPED A CHILD WITH AUDITORY NEUROPATHY...
INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL (LEARNING SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY!)