New Test Uncovers 'Hidden' Hearing Loss Doctors Previously Could Not Detect

• Cochlear synaptopathy, or 'hidden hearing loss,' prevents patients from processing speech in noisy environments, yet often remains undetected by standard clinical audiograms.
• The EarDiTech research project has developed a novel diagnostic test that uses electrodes and computational models to measure synaptic response.
• Researchers have created a machine learning algorithm designed for hearing aids to optimize sound clarity for individual synaptic damage profiles.
• The team is now seeking commercial partnerships to bring the diagnostic hardware and software solutions to market.

Understanding Hidden Hearing Loss

• Traditional audiograms measure hair cell function but fail to assess synaptic health.
• Successful speech decoding requires multiple synapses per hair cell; when these connections degrade, patients struggle in noisy settings despite 'normal' test results.
• Professor Sarah Verhulst and Professor Ingeborg Dhooge identify synaptic loss as the primary structural damage, preceding hair cell degradation.

New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tools

• The EarDiTech diagnostic test uses specifically designed audio stimuli to elicit a neural spike response, which is weaker in patients with synaptopathy.
• A compact, portable version of this diagnostic device has undergone successful clinical trials at Ghent University.
• The proposed machine learning-based software modifies sound to stimulate existing synapses effectively, rather than just increasing volume.
• The algorithm is optimized for low-power chips, making it compatible with future generations of hearing aids and consumer earbuds.

Future Outlook

• Developers are currently pursuing CE marking for the diagnostic device, a process expected to take 18 to 24 months.
• Clinical adoption of the diagnostic tool will provide a clearer data baseline regarding the prevalence and evolution of hidden hearing loss.
• The research team is actively engaging with hardware manufacturers to integrate their software solutions into commercial audio products.