Hidden hearing loss: current perspectives and potential therapies

Abstract

Hidden hearing loss (HHL), an auditory dysfunction that has gained much recent attention, has the hallmarks of speech discrimination and intelligibility deficits with normal or near-normal hearing thresholds. The pathological mechanisms of HHL are complicated and are not yet fully understood. HHL can be resulted from disorders of the central nervous system such as auditory cortex, and/or pathological changes of inner ear. Thus far, 2 pathological phenomena, synaptopathy and auditory nerve demyelination, have been reported as underlying causes of otogenic HHL. Here, we review the clinical and physiological characteristics of HHL as well as the molecular pathological mechanisms of otogenic HHL and aim to allude to potential therapy targets for clinical applications in the future.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Life Expectancy With Hearing Impairment in the United States

“…Moreover, PTA has a limited relationship with the lived experience of disability (Demeester et al, 2012), especially self-reported comprehension in noisy environments (Kramer et al, 1996) or group conversations (Gatehouse & Noble, 2004). Thus, PTA fails to capture "hidden hearing loss": individuals with normal hearing thresholds who have deficits in speech discrimination and intelligibility (Chen et al, 2019).…”

“…First, as discussed previously, the hearing measure we use is a limitation as subjective hearing reports may vary by demographic characteristics (Kamil et al, 2015). However, PTA is also subject to limitations especially when it comes to capturing the difficulties that individuals experience in their everyday lives (Chen et al, 2019;Demeester et al, 2012;Gatehouse & Noble, 2004;Kramer et al, 1996). Self-rated hearing is the only measure available in the HRS.…”