Familial aggregation of pure tone hearing thresholds in an aging European population.

Objective: To investigate the familial correlations and intraclass correlation of age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) in specific frequencies. In addition, heritability estimates were calculated.

Study Design: Multicenter survey in 8 European centers.

Bone-anchored hearing aids in patients with acquired and congenital unilateral inner ear deafness (Baha CROS): clinical evaluation of 56 cases.

Objectives: We performed an evaluation of the audiological and subjective benefits of the bone-anchored hearing aid (Baha) as a device for transcranial routing of sound (Baha CROS) in 56 patients with unilateral inner ear deafness.

Methods: We performed a prospective clinical follow-up study in a tertiary referral center. Previously reported results of 29 patients were supplemented with a second series of 30 patients with unilateral inner ear deafness; 3 patients dropped out during the evaluation.

Pilot study on the effectiveness of the conventional CROS, the transcranial CROS and the BAHA transcranial CROS in adults with unilateral inner ear deafness.

The objective of the present pilot study is to evaluate the effectiveness of three conventional contralateral routing of sound (CROS) hearing aids in adults with unilateral inner ear deafness. The study included tertiary referral center. Ten patients with unilateral inner ear deafness and normal hearing in the contralateral ear were selected to evaluate three different methods of amplification: the CROS hearing aid, the completely in the canal hearing aid and the bone-anchored hearing aid CROS (BAHA).

Genome-wide SNP-based linkage scan identifies a locus on 8q24 for an age-related hearing impairment trait.

Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI), or presbycusis, is a very common multifactorial disorder. Despite the knowledge that genetics play an important role in the etiology of human ARHI as revealed by heritability studies, to date, its precise genetic determinants remain elusive. Here we report the results of a cross-sectional family-based genetic study employing audiometric data.

Occupational noise, smoking, and a high body mass index are risk factors for age-related hearing impairment and moderate alcohol consumption is protective: a European population-based multicenter study.

A multicenter study was set up to elucidate the environmental and medical risk factors contributing to age-related hearing impairment (ARHI). Nine subsamples, collected by nine audiological centers across Europe, added up to a total of 4,083 subjects between 53 and 67 years. Audiometric data (pure-tone average [PTA]) were collected and the participants filled out a questionnaire on environmental risk factors and medical history.

Subjective benefit after BAHA system application in patients with congenital unilateral conductive hearing impairment.

Objective: To study whether unilateral Bone-anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) fitting led to subjective hearing benefit in patients with congenital unilateral conductive hearing impairment.

Study Design: Prospective evaluation on 20 patients.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Bone-anchored hearing aid system application for unilateral congenital conductive hearing impairment: audiometric results.

Objective: To study the audiologic outcome of bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) application in patients with congenital unilateral conductive hearing impairment.

Study Design: Prospective audiometric evaluation on 20 patients.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

The contribution of GJB2 (Connexin 26) 35delG to age-related hearing impairment and noise-induced hearing loss.

Hypothesis: The common GJB2 (Connexin 26) 35delG mutation might contribute to the development of age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Background: GJB2, a gene encoding a gap junction protein expressed in the inner ear, has been suggested to be involved in the potassium recycling pathway in the cochlea. GJB2 mutations account for a large number of individuals with nonsyndromic recessive hearing loss, with 35delG being the most frequent mutation in populations of European origin.

Bone-anchored hearing aid in patients with moderate mental retardation: impact and benefit assessment.

Objective: To assess the impact and the subjective benefit of Bone-anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) implementation in patients with hearing impairment combined with moderate mental retardation.

Study Design: Case control study using two validated patient-oriented instruments.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Rehabilitation of patients with conductive hearing loss and moderate mental retardation by means of a bone-anchored hearing aid.

Objective: To evaluate whether the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) can be applied successfully to patients with conductive hearing loss and moderate mental retardation.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical evaluation.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.