Hearing 1

Question 1

Brain network interactions?

Answer 1

Auditory system connected to the brain centres such as amygdala and hippocampus strongly invoved in emotion and memory

Importance of vision and auditory interactions E.g facial expression and lip movement for speech recognition

Somatosensory and vestibular system interact with head turning (sound localisation) connected at the cochlear nucleus in the brain stem.

Question 2

Impact of hearing impairment?

Answer 2

Poor speech, language and cognitive skill

Reduced literacy, learning, education, employment

social isolation and stigmatisation

Question 3

Hearing loss in children in NZ

Answer 3

2-3/1000 with moderate-profound deafness

approx 50% genetic

Cytomegalovirus infection is also a large cause

newborn hearing screening has brought down the time frame for detecting significantly

Otitis media with effusion (glue ear) is common as well as infection (meningitis) and trauma.

Question 4

Adult hearing loss in NZ

Answer 4

Age-related
noise exposure
genetic
trauma
tumours - neuroma across vesibular and acoustic nerve
ototoxic drugs
aminoglycoside antibiotics and some cytotoxic anticancer drugs (eg. cisplatin)