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Genetic test for deafness in newborns to be trialled across the UK

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:00:34 +0000

A ground-breaking genetic test that could prevent critically ill newborn babies going deaf if treated with gentamicin, a commonly used antibiotic, is being trialled across 14 NHS neonatal (specialist newborn) units across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Developed by researchers at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Ұ�� University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and The University of Ұ��, in collaboration with Ұ��-based firm genedrive Plc, the rapid bedside test could save the NHS £5 million every year by reducing the need for interventions, such as cochlear implants.

The innovative test was first piloted at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital, in 2020 as part of the Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing (PALOH) study. Following its success, the test was implemented into routine clinical practice at Saint Mary’s Hospital in 2022 and extended to all three maternity units at MFT, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and North Ұ�� General Hospital, in 2023.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) conditionally recommended the genedrive test for use in the NHS last year. It has since been implemented into routine clinical practice at all eight Greater Ұ�� neonatal units, with funding from Health Innovation Ұ�� (HInM). So far, the test has prevented the hearing loss of 11 babies at MFT and across Greater Ұ��, with 4,000 babies tested to October 2024.

As part of its recommendation, NICE identified areas requiring more information to determine whether the test should be recommended for use at all neonatal sites across the NHS. This includes how the test impacts the time it takes for a baby to be given antibiotics, how the results affect antibiotic prescribing decisions, and the technical performance and accuracy of the test.

Now, having successfully received £1.4m funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences, researchers at MFT will lead PALOH-UK, a new two-year study across 14 neonatal units, from large intensive care units to small special care baby units.

Dr John McDermott, Clinical Geneticist at MFT and joint lead for the PALOH-UK study said: “We are incredibly proud to be leading this research at MFT, having already seen the difference this new genetic test has made across Greater Ұ��. We are excited to explore how it can be used effectively at other neonatal units across the UK.

“The PALOH-UK study will demonstrate how the test can be used in a timely way to ensure babies get a safe, effective antibiotic without affecting normal clinical practice, on a much larger scale.”

Using a cheek swab, the test can identify in 26 minutes whether a critically ill baby admitted to intensive care has a gene change that could result in permanent hearing loss if they are treated with a common antibiotic, gentamicin.

While gentamicin is used to safely treat approximately 100,000 babies a year, one in 500 babies carry a gene change that can result in permanent hearing loss when given the drug.

The test replaces a previous method that traditionally took several days and is the first use of a rapid point of care genetic test in acute neonatal care. Babies found to have the genetic variant can be given an alternative antibiotic within the NICE recommended ‘golden hour.’

The 24 month, PALOH-UK study, due to start in November 2024 will be co-led by Professor Bill Newman, Consultant in Genomic Medicine at the Ұ�� Centre for Genomic Medicine, Saint Mary’s Hospital and Professor of Translational Genomic Medicine at The University of Ұ��.

Professor Newman, who is also Rare Conditions Co-Theme Lead at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Ұ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said: “While we were delighted that NICE recommended the use of the genetic beside test, we understand that evidence is needed to understand implementation in smaller centres and in more diverse populations, which is what this study will do.

“We are looking forward to working with partners across the NHS to take this research to the next level and hopefully bring this test closer to implementation across every NHS neonatal unit in the UK.”

Dr Gino Miele, Chief Executive, genedrive plc, said: “We are delighted with the successful funding award to MFT, to address the areas where NICE has identified a need for further information. We are proud to be at the forefront of pharmacogenetic testing in emergency care settings and look forward to working with all partners across the UK to progress implementation of this worlds-first rapid genetic test in neonatal settings, positively impacting patient outcomes and healthcare finances.”

Dr John McDermott, who is also a NIHR Fellow at The University of Ұ�� added: “It’s fantastic to see this research moving forward and highlights how genomic medicine can be integrated into routine clinical practice to improve healthcare outcomes. Most importantly, having this test available nationally will ensure no baby will go deaf unnecessarily.”

Image: using the genetic test

Researchers to study home based support for deaf infants in South Africa

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:55:02 +0100

A research project is to investigate a home-based early intervention programme for deaf infants under the age of 6 in South Africa.

This collaborative study between the University of the Witwatersrand’s and the University of Ұ��’s programme will analyse the programme’s impact on their development. It is funded by the UK's Medical Research Council.

Prof Claudine Storbeck Primary Investigator: South Africa said: “Around 6,000 deaf children are born in South Africa each year, but the lack of universal newborn hearing screening means that the average age of diagnosis of hearing loss in South Africa is 28 months old.

“The availability of data on deaf child development and impact of early intervention is sparce and structured early intervention programmes to promote early childhood development in the first three years of life are minimal

“Those offering South African Sign Language (SASL) as a language option are very rare and largely unavailable to families.”

“As a result, the linguistic, communicative, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in South Africa can be delayed, often significantly.”

Prof Alys Young – Primary Investigator said: “Results from high-income countries show that identification and diagnosis by 3 months of age with family support and early intervention by 6 months of age drastically improve the developmental progress of deaf children.

“The project will investigate the extent and character of the impact of such a home-based early intervention programme, alongside an understanding of what might mitigate the effectiveness of such a programme of intervention.

“This is important because home-based early intervention for deaf infants is not universal and the case for its effectiveness is not proven within the wider context of school readiness in South Africa.”

The researchers will investigate the HI HOPES early intervention and family support programme, which supports families with deaf and hard of hearing children

Founded in 2006 by the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies as a non-profit programme, it provides families with specialised home-based early childhood development programme for children from birth to 6.

The project also aims to provide large scale data on the development of deaf children in South Africa that will help to inform the South African Government/UNICEF National Early Learning and Development Standards (NELDS) from birth to four years.

It will also support, age-normed and standardised Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) 4 & 5 Years assessment tool, developed by South African early learning charity .

An important part of the work will be the adaptation of the ELOM to ensure suitability for deaf children as well as developing a standardised South African Sign Language (SASL) version to ensure the validity of all items for children who are SASL users.

Prof Storbeck added: “It will be possible for the first time in South Africa to accurately evaluate deaf children’s developmental progress and needs in all domains (not just language) at point of school entry.

For more information on the overall research project, contact: Prof Claudine Storbeck – Primary Investigator: South Africa, The University of the Witwatersrand, claudine.storbeck@wits.ac.za and Prof Alys Young – Primary Investigator: UK, The University of Ұ��, alys.young@manchester.ac.uk

Vulnerable newborns at Ұ�� hospitals are first to benefit from rollout of genetic test to prevent hearing loss

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:11:43 +0100

An innovative genetic test that can help prevent newborn babies from going deaf if treated with a common antibiotic, based on the work of University of Ұ�� and Ұ�� University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) researchers, is now being used in routine clinical practice in maternity settings at MFT.

Using a simple cheek swab, the test can identify in 26 minutes whether a critically ill baby admitted to intensive care has a gene change that could result in permanent hearing loss if they are treated with a common emergency antibiotic, Gentamicin.

The test, developed by Ұ�� researchers was first piloted at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital in 2021.

Following its success, the test was implemented into routine clinical practice Saint Mary’s Hospital in 2022, which has now been extended to North Ұ�� General Hospital (NMGH) and Wythenshawe Hospital, part of Saint Mary’s Managed Clinical Service at MFT in July 2023.

It is estimated that approximately 1,700 babies a year will be tested at MFT, which has so far saved the hearing loss of six babies in Greater Ұ�� since the pilot in 2021 through to the implementation of the test in 2022.

This introduction follows the by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), earlier this year.

Dr Ajit Mahaveer, Consultant Neonatologist at Saint Mary’s Hospital, was involved in the initial research and has led the rollout across MFT. He said: “Since its introduction at Saint May’s Hospital in October last year, over 600 babies have been tested. Three babies tested positive for the gene change that would cause them to go deaf if given Gentamicin and were successfully given an alternative antibiotic within the NICE recommended ‘golden hour’.”

While Gentamicin is used to safely treat approximately 100,000 babies a year, one in 500 babies carry the gene change that can lead to permanent hearing loss when given the drug.

Dr Mahaveer continued: “As a doctor dealing daily with infection, it is important that we do not delay antibiotic treatment. The new swab test technique replaces a test that traditionally took several days and is the first use of a rapid point of care genetic test in acute neonatal care. It is fantastic to be involved with the rollout of the test across MFT hospitals, which will ensure even more babies do not lose their hearing for a preventable reason.”

Approximately 350 nurses have been trained to use the genetic testing machine across MFT at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and NMGH.

Rachel Parkinson, Senior Sister, Neonatal Unit, North Ұ�� General Hospital, said: “Babies can deteriorate so quickly that giving them antibiotics for proven or suspected infection is an absolute priority to ensure the best possible outcome. It is fantastic that in these situations we can now test quickly and easily for this gene change, day or night.

“It is also further reassuring to know that this result could not only have an immediate impact on their lives, but it could also ensure those babies with the genetic variant can further avoid treatment with Gentamicin over their lifetime.”

Dr Mahaveer concluded: “This straightforward non-invasive test is the future of individualised treatment. I am very proud of the team of researchers and clinical staff who have contributed to its success so far. Our ambition is to see this test rolled out across all maternity services in England so that all babies and families can benefit from this test, if needed.”

While MFT is the first trust to routinely use the test, other NHS trusts in Greater Ұ�� will soon follow. Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust are also set to introduce the revolutionary test in 2023.

Ұ��-based firm genedrive plc developed the genetic based test with researchers based at MFT, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Ұ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and The University of Ұ��.

David Budd, CEO, genedrive, said: “The continued rollout of the Genedrive® MT-RNR1 test demonstrates the engagement with new technology by the MFT clinical teams as well as the positive health impact that point of care molecular testing can have on patients. By having their genetic susceptibility to aminoglycoside treatment rapidly and easily checked prior to treatment, the expanded availability of the Genedrive® MT-RNR1 test throughout the North West region will provide every newborn access to safer and more assured treatment.”

The test rollout at MFT and across Greater Ұ�� has been made possible with funding from and its . The programme will collect data for the NICE evidence generation plan which supports the long-term recommendation of the test across England.

Jonathan Massey, Programme Director for Academia at HInM said: “Health Innovation Ұ�� funding is supporting the wider adoption across the city-region, ensuring that the work done to date will translate to better and equitable patient outcomes, wherever a child is treated in Greater Ұ��.”

Image caption: Rachel Parkinson, Senior Sister on the Neonatal Unit at North Ұ�� General Hospital is one of 350 nurses trained to use the device at MFT

World-first genetic test for babies' hearing wins major award

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 10:45:43 +0000

A team who led the research for a world-first genetic test that could save the hearing of hundreds of babies each year, has won the New Statesman Positive Impact in Healthcare Award 2022.

Ұ�� researchers, based at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Ұ�� University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), worked with The University of Ұ�� and Ұ��-based firm genedrive Plc on the Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing (PALOH) study. Together, they developed the pioneering, rapid bedside genetic test which was .

While Gentamicin is used to safely treat approximately 100,000 babies a year, one in 500 babies carry the gene change that can lead to permanent hearing loss when given the antibiotic.

The new test means that babies found to have the genetic variant can be given an alternative antibiotic within the ‘golden hour’ and could save the hearing of 200 babies in England every year.

PALOH study lead, Professor Bill Newman, Consultant in Genomic Medicine at MFT and Professor of Translational Genomic Medicine at The University of Ұ��, said: “I am delighted for the team to receive this recognition of their fantastic efforts and their innovative approach in bringing this test to fruition.”

The new swab test technique, which was piloted at MFT, replaces a test that traditionally took several days and is the first use of a rapid point of care genetic test in acute neonatal care.

Dr Ajit Mahaveer, Consultant Neonatologist, Rachel James, Senior Research Coordinator and Nicola Booth, Research Nurse Manager on the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Saint Mary’s Hospital, attended the awards ceremony in London and accepted the award on behalf of the team.

Dr Mahaveer said: "I am incredibly proud to be part of the team who made this study a reality and to be recognised at this year’s New Statesman Positive Impact Awards. It’s an honour to accept the award on behalf of the team, knowing the work we have put into delivering this research will truly make a difference to hundreds of babies’ lives each year.

“As a doctor dealing daily with infection, my main concern was how easy and quickly the test was to conduct, as it’s important that we do not delay antibiotic treatment. Our experience of using this test has been very positive. It’s straight-forward, non-invasive and will have a huge impact on our patients’ lives.”

Professor Newman, Theme Co-Lead Lead for Rare Conditions, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Ұ�� Biomedical Research Centre, continued: “I am absolutely thrilled with the success of the study and that this test is now being used in routine clinical practice. This test will make a real difference, helping to ensure babies are not going to lose their hearing for a preventable reason.”

It is expected the test could save the NHS £5 million every year by reducing the need for other interventions, such as cochlear implants.

Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for England and Senior Responsible Officer for Genomics in the NHS said: “This ground-breaking bedside test for detecting whether an antibiotic could cause deafness in babies in intensive care is another example of how the NHS is harnessing the power of genomic medicine to transform patient care. This award is a tribute to the hard work of Professor Bill Newman and his team in Ұ��.”

Dr Gino Miele, R&D Director, genedrive plc, said: “The collaboration of our company with the research and clinical team at MFT is a shining example of the NHS working with a commercial company to deliver real improvements in patient outcomes in a cost-effective way.”

Caption: Rachel James, Senior Research Coordinator; Nicola Booth, Research Nurse Manager, Newborn Intensive Care Unit and Dr Ajit Mahaveer, Consultant Neonatologist at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of MFT receiving the award on behalf of the PALOH team. (Photo credit: New Statesman Positive Impact Awards)

Researcher wins award for film raising awareness of Deaf people affected by dementia.

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 08:15:51 +0100

A gallery of “breath-taking” images and videos which shine a light on crucial dementia research have been released today by Alzheimer’s Society’s first ever research image competition which was won by a University of Ұ�� researcher.

Spotlight on Dementia challenges researchers funded by the charity to showcase their vital work through creative images and video. Entries explored diverse topics such as detecting dementia using virtual reality, the impact of young-onset dementia on people’s careers, and the potential involvement of the brain’s immune system in the processes behind dementia.

Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman is a Research Fellow at the University of Ұ�� and is being funded by Alzheimer’s Society for her current research study into the support needs of Deaf carers who care for people with dementia.

Emma won the Research in Motion category for her video called Losing my Language, which is about Deaf man who has been living with dementia for a few years. In this video, which is composed from qualitative research data after she interviewed a native BSL Deaf man and his family members, the actor representing the Deaf man shares his perception of living with dementia and what the future might mean for him. This is portrayed in a moment where he uses one sign (rather than a few full sentences in BSL) to describe his in-depth emotions about the possibility of fading away as a person and losing his language, BSL.

Emma said about winning the Research in Motion category: “It’s an absolute honour for me to see the story of Harold and his family represented in the wider mainstream – it is amazing.

‘As a Deaf BSL user myself, I am privileged to represent the stories of Deaf people living with dementia and their carers

‘This video took about three months to develop. I contacted Ilan (ILAN) Dwek (a famous Deaf actor) and discussed this conversation with him; sharing a video of myself mimicking Harold’s signs (for the purpose of research confidentiality) and Ilan filmed himself at home representing Harold’s story. Ilan did an amazing job in reflecting Harold’s emotions.

‘It was critical that Ilan was able to represent Harold’s position in all its’ entirety. If Ilan had just signed the one sign, there would be no context and no appreciation of the many layers of emotion that Harold was portraying in that moment.

‘I hope that from seeing this brief film, that the wider mainstream community come to understand and appreciate the rich complexities of communicating in BSL, especially with a Deaf BSL user living with dementia. This film will raise awareness of this minority community that use BSL as their first or preferred language and hopefully remove barriers in learning how to communicate either in BSL, or with a BSL interpreter to assist with two-way conversations.”

Emma entered academia as a research assistant in 2010 and studied for her PhD between 2010-2016. Her PhD was focussed on Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users’ understanding and knowledge of dementia, as well as interviewing, for the first time, Deaf BSL users living with dementia with their carers about their everyday experiences.

Emma also has a personal link to dementia as her grandmother lived with vascular dementia after having had a stroke.

Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

“Spotlight on Dementia brings together science and art to reveal the wonder and variety of the research we fund. Each breath-taking entry tells a different story about the drive and enthusiasm of our stellar researchers working across dementia diagnosis, treatment and care.

“Alzheimer’s Society is a vital source of support and a powerful force for change for people with dementia. The charity only funds the most cutting-edge dementia research and currently we fund over 155 projects worth over £29.5m. We do this because we know research will beat dementia and improve the lives of people affected by the condition.

“Times are hard at the moment, but more funding is desperately needed to help us find breakthroughs and a cure. Decades of underfunding mean dementia research lags about twenty years behind the progress we’ve made in cancer, and we’re still waiting for the Government to act on its commitment over two years ago to double dementia research funding.”

17 hi-res photos from the overall winners and Emma’s video is available *

NHS Develops World-First Bedside Genetic Test To Prevent Babies Going Deaf

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 01:24:00 +0100

A world-first genetic test, partly developed by University of Ұ�� scientists that could save the hearing of hundreds of babies each year, has been developed and successfully piloted in the NHS.

Taking just 25 minutes, the bedside machine identifies whether a critically ill baby admitted to intensive care has a gene that could result in permanent hearing loss if they are treated with a common emergency antibiotic.

The new swab test technique would replace a test that traditionally took several days and could save the hearing of 180 babies in England alone every year.

People admitted to intensive care are usually given an antibiotic called Gentamicin within 60 minutes. While Gentamicin is used to safely treat about 100,000 babies a year, one in 500 babies carry the gene that can make it cause permanent hearing loss.

Developed in Ұ��, the new test means that babies found to have the genetic variant can be given an alternative antibiotic within the ‘golden hour.’

It is expected the test could save the NHS £5 million every year by reducing the need for other interventions, such as cochlear implants.

First-year nursing student Mary, from Preston, is mother to 18-month-old Khobi, who was born and treated at Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Ұ�� University NHS Foundation Trust.

Mary said: “Khobi was born with her bowel outside her tummy, which put her at risk of infection - she needed antibiotics quickly but was given this new genetic test which showed she was susceptible to hearing loss from gentamicin.

“She was given an alternative antibiotic which didn’t affect her hearing, and it worked well. She’s doing fine and is such a happy, sociable baby.

“This test is great, and I think all babies should have it.”

NHS national medical director Stephen Powis said: “The successful trial of this bedside test is fantastic news for the hundreds of babies - and their parents - who would otherwise lose their hearing when given this common antibiotic in intensive care situations.

“Through world-class innovation, the NHS is delivering cutting edge treatments to save and improve patients’ lives as well as delivering on the commitments of the NHS Long Term Plan.”

Professor Bill Newman, a consultant in genomic medicine at Ұ�� University NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Translational Genomic Medicine at the University of Ұ��, led the Pharmacogenetics to Avoid Loss of Hearing (PALoH) study. He said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the success of the study, and that this testing is now going to be used in three of our Trust’s Neonatal Intensive Care Units - it’s actually going to make a real difference so babies are not going to lose their hearing for a preventable reason.

“The trial demonstrated that you can deploy rapid genetic testing in a clinical setting, and that the tests can be carried out within the ‘golden hour’ when severely unwell babies should be treated with antibiotics.”

Following the completion of the ground-breaking study, the NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliance and the NHS will be exploring how this technology can be launched as part of a clinical service through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

Around 300 nurses are being trained to use the machine across MFT at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, and North Ұ�� General Hospital, and the test is expected to be routinely used in all the hospitals’ neonatal units within weeks, which are part of Saint Mary’s Managed Clinical Service within the Trust.

Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for England and Senior Responsible Officer for Genomics in the NHS, said: “Genomic medicine is transforming healthcare, and this is a powerful example of how genetic testing can now be done extremely quickly and become a vital part of triage - not only in intensive care but across our services.

“It also shows the importance of thinking about how advances in technology can rapidly transform how we use genomics closer to care for our patients.”

Professor Newman, who is Associate Lead, Hearing Health Genomic Solutions at NIHR Ұ�� Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said the team had successfully transferred the accuracy of the machine in the lab to working effectively in a ward. At the same time, clinicians adapted quickly to incorporate the test into their routine care for very sick children in the neonatal ward.

The idea for the test came five years ago, and trials started in 2020 with further adaptations and fine-tuning so that the current machine, which is called the Genedrive System, is now fully CE certified to be used in a clinical setting.

Study – the top-ranked paediatrics journal in the world – last week.

Backed by £900,000 funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and support from the charity Royal National Institute for Deaf People, the Genedrive System, which costs £80 per baby, was developed by Genedrive, a start-up based at the University of Ұ��. It was developed in close collaboration with Professor Newman’s team at Ұ�� Biomedical Research Centre.

Mike Hobday, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “The National Deaf Children’s Society welcomes the publication of this important study. The introduction of a rapid test to identify susceptibility to deafness caused by the antibiotic gentamicin will be greatly valued by many families of newborn babies.

“Up to now the genetic test has taken too long to return from the lab to be useful for babies requiring urgent treatment but a rapid test will be a game-changer.”

David Budd, CEO of Genedrive, said: “There is a significant drive within the NHS to alert healthcare professionals to the impact of antibiotic-induced hearing loss and encourage them to consider genetic testing prior to initiation of treatment.

“It’s a great example of using human genetics to guide specific therapy, which is now taking front and centre in clinical management globally. The application of Genedrive’s technology shows how a rapid, affordable, point-of-care test could impact patients’ treatment and quality of life across this as well as a wide range of fields.”

Hearing loss: early signs of damage in young adults who regularly attend loud clubs and concerts

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:56:25 +0100

is a popular pastime for many young people, but they’re also potential causes of noise-induced hearing loss. In fact, worldwide are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss – though .

While the link between is well known, it’s possible that the extent of hearing damage from noise exposure has been underestimated. This is because very subtle hearing damage can occur which is not detectable by – the most commonly used hearing test by audiologists. This test measures our ability to detect very quiet sounds in a quiet environment.

At the , we are trying to get a better understanding of the effects of noise exposure on hearing. In particular, we have been focusing on musicians’ hearing, as they’re at due to exposure to loud sounds on a daily basis.

In a , we completed a detailed assessment of 123 young adults’ hearing health, starting with the external part of the ear, all the way through to the nerves that . Our participant sample included musicians and non-musicians, aged 18-27. All participants provided a detailed account of the amount of noise exposure they’d experienced during their life, such as how often they attended clubs and concerts, and how loud they thought it was in these settings.

The permissible noise exposure limit in the UK is an average of 85 decibels based on an eight-hour working day. An example of sounds that are include heavy traffic, a window air conditioner, or a lawn mower. The length of safe noise exposure is reduced by half for every three decibels increase.

To put this into perspective, most amplified concerts exceed 100 decibels – meaning we shouldn’t be exposed to this level of noise for more than 15 minutes in an eight-hour period without proper hearing protection. However, unlike work-related noise, there is no specific legislation .

that all participants had clinically normal hearing as measured by pure-tone audiometry. But those with the highest levels of noise exposure had poorer functioning of the which are integral to hearing. We also found that people with higher levels of noise exposure had poorer conduction of sound signals from the hearing nerve towards the brain, which could negatively affect how the brain processes sounds.

There were no differences between musicians and non-musicians.

A surprising finding was that we didn’t see any differences in the amount of noise exposure between musicians and non-musicians. This was because both participant groups had relatively high levels of recreational noise exposure, such as regularly attending nightclubs and concerts. Work-related activities, such as music rehearsals and performances for musicians, only contributed to a small fraction of total noise exposure.

Preventing damage

Although these early signs of hearing damage didn’t appear to affect the participants’ listening abilities, that doesn’t mean this damage isn’t a problem. It’s possible that the effects of noise damage become worse later in life, or may accumulate with regular exposure to loud noise. Hearing damage can manifest in a number of ways, such as tinnitus - - or being less able to follow a conversation in a busy room. In the current study, participants with high levels of noise exposure were more likely to report experiencing hyperacusis - - which could also be a sign of hearing damage.

This is especially important for musicians who will probably experience high levels of noise exposure throughout their careers whereas levels of noise exposure may begin to level-off for non-musicians as they tend to go clubbing less often as they get older. Indeed, hearing damage is a well-known problem for career musicians, with a growing list of who suffer from hearing problems.

But noise-induced hearing problems can be prevented. The best way is to avoid noisy situations altogether. We can also try to limit the amount of exposure we have by taking regular breaks, moving away from the sound source, or trying to reduce the volume at its source. However, it isn’t always possible to reduce the volume in musical settings.

Another problem is that people also enjoy the as they vibrate through the body. This activates the pleasure centres of the brain and is one of the many reasons why clubbing and loud music is such an important part of youth culture. It may also be one reason people don’t want to take protective measures.

But without protective measures, damage is likely. Using earplugs may help dampen loud sounds and block them from entering the ears. The best type of earplugs to use are those designed for musicians, as they contain special filters that reduce the overall levels of sound entering the ear, but don’t ruin the quality of the music.

Crucially, what our research reveals is that all young adults who engage in noisy recreational activities without using hearing protection are at risk of hearing damage. It’s likely that without a change in our attitudes towards noise exposure and hearing protection, we will see many more people presenting with hearing problems later in life.

, Research Associate, Hearing Science,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

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