Spotlight
Hearing Loss Gene
| USF News
There’s good news for the more than 30 million Americans affected by agerelated hearing loss — researchers at USF have identified a genetic marker for the condition.
The discovery, a major breakthrough according to hearing experts, means people can be tested earlier and take steps earlier in life — such as avoiding loud noises, wearing ear protection and avoiding certain medicines — to protect their hearing.
The nine-year study, a collaboration between USF’s Global Center for Hearing & Speech Research and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology, identified the first genetic biomarker for presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss. According to the researchers, the genetic mutation carried by people who ultimately suffer from the condition is linked to speech processing abilities in older people.
The study was co-authored by USF College of Engineering professors Robert Frisina Jr. and Robert Frisina Sr., founders of the Global Center for Hearing & Speech Research, and David Eddins, a USF associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and chemical and biological engineering.
“This gene is the first genetic biomarker for human age-related hearing loss, meaning if you had certain configurations of this gene you would know that you are probably going to lose your hearing faster than someone who might have another configuration,” explains Frisina Jr.
The Frisinas launched their study of the role of genetics in hearing loss in hopes of identifying the cause of one of the most common forms of permanent hearing loss.
“Age-related hearing loss is a very prevalent problem in our society. It costs billions of dollars every year to manage and deal with it. It’s right up there with heart disease and arthritis as far as being one of the top three chronic medical conditions of the aged,” Frisina Jr. says.