Sensorineural hearing loss | EPFL Graph Search

Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?

Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a type of hearing loss in which the root cause lies in the inner ear or sensory organ (cochlea and associated structures) or the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII). SNHL accounts for about 90% of reported hearing loss . SNHL is usually permanent and can be mild, moderate, severe, profound, or total. Various other descriptors can be used depending on the shape of the audiogram, such as high frequency, low frequency, U-shaped, notched, peaked, or flat. Sensory hearing loss often occurs as a consequence of damaged or deficient cochlear hair cells. Hair cells may be abnormal at birth or damaged during the lifetime of an individual. There are both external causes of damage, including infection, and ototoxic drugs, as well as intrinsic causes, including genetic mutations. A common cause or exacerbating factor in SNHL is prolonged exposure to environmental noise, or noise-induced hearing loss. Exposure to a single very loud noise such as a gun shot or bomb blast can cause noise-induced hearing loss. Using headphones at high volume over time, or being in loud environments regularly, such as a loud workplace, sporting events, concerts, and using noisy machines can also be a risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Neural, or "retrocochlear", hearing loss occurs because of damage to the cochlear nerve (CVIII). This damage may affect the initiation of the nerve impulse in the cochlear nerve or the transmission of the nerve impulse along the nerve into the brainstem. Most cases of SNHL present with a gradual deterioration of hearing thresholds occurring over years to decades. In some, the loss may eventually affect large portions of the frequency range. It may be accompanied by other symptoms such as ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and dizziness or lightheadedness (vertigo). The most common kind of sensorineural hearing loss is age-related (presbycusis), followed by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related publications (1)

Related concepts (39)

Related courses (17)

Related lectures (121)

Related MOOCs (3)

PHYS-467: Machine learning for physicists

Machine learning and data analysis are becoming increasingly central in sciences including physics. In this course, fundamental principles and methods of machine learning will be introduced and practi

DH-406: Machine learning for DH

This course aims to introduce the basic principles of machine learning in the context of the digital humanities. We will cover both supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, and study and imple

EE-559: Deep learning

This course explores how to design reliable discriminative and generative neural networks, the ethics of data acquisition and model deployment, as well as modern multi-modal models.

Noise-induced hearing loss

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of frequencies or impaired perception of sound including sensitivity to sound or ringing in the ears. When exposure to hazards such as noise occur at work and is associated with hearing loss, it is referred to as occupational hearing loss. Hearing may deteriorate gradually from chronic and repeated noise exposure (such as to loud music or background noise) or suddenly from exposure to impulse noise, which is a short high intensity noise (such as a gunshot or airhorn).

Ototoxicity

Ototoxicity is the property of being toxic to the ear (oto-), specifically the cochlea or auditory nerve and sometimes the vestibular system, for example, as a side effect of a drug. The effects of ototoxicity can be reversible and temporary, or irreversible and permanent. It has been recognized since the 19th century. There are many well-known ototoxic drugs used in clinical situations, and they are prescribed, despite the risk of hearing disorders, for very serious health conditions.

Otosclerosis

Otosclerosis is a condition of the middle ear where portions of the dense enchondral layer of the bony labyrinth remodel into one or more lesions of irregularly-laid spongy bone. As the lesions reach the stapes the bone is resorbed, then hardened (sclerotized), which limits its movement and results in hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo or a combination of symptoms. The term otosclerosis is something of a misnomer: much of the clinical course is characterized by lucent rather than sclerotic bony changes, so the disease is also known as otospongiosis.

Active Control mitigating the Ear Canal Occlusion Effect caused by Hearing Aids

Thomas Stefan Zurbrügg

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the prevalence of a disabling hearing loss to be above 5% world-wide 1. A treatment with a hearing aid - be it behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE) or receiver-in-canal (RIC) - involves some degree of occlusion of the external ear canal. In many cases, this so-called occlusion effect (OE) leads to an unfamiliar perception of the hearing aid user’s own voice. This fact represents a limiting factor regarding the acceptance of hearing aids by potential users. This thesis focuses on modeling the physical occlusion effect caused by hearing aids and the investigation of active control approaches mitigating this adverse effect. A simple model based on audiological transfer functions is presented, discussed and validated in the first part of the thesis. This model is subsequently used as a basis for the analysis and the synthesis of an active control approach based on sound pressure feedback. The objective and subjective validation of this approach implemented as a prototype setup in a user-study is presented. Finally, the use of the insights from the first part for fitting a hearing aid incorporating such active occlusion control is suggested.

EPFL2014

Atomistic Machine Learning: Physics and Data

Explores Atomistic Machine Learning, integrating physical principles into models to predict molecular properties accurately.

Additive Manufacturing in Hearing Aid Industry MICRO-413: Advanced additive manufacturing technologies

Delves into additive manufacturing in the hearing aid industry, covering market insights, challenges, technology, and future trends.

Introduction to Neural Networks PHYS-467: Machine learning for physicists

Introduces neural networks, focusing on multilayer perceptrons and training with stochastic gradient descent.

At the same time, several different tutorials on available data and data tools, such as those from the Allen Institute for Brain Science, provide you with in-depth knowledge on brain atlases, gene exp

The MOOC on Neuro-robotics focuses on teaching advanced learners to design and construct a virtual robot and test its performance in a simulation using the HBP robotics platform. Learners will learn t