It could have been #Deafness forever, but this #BionicEar changes thing for this young man... - http://clapway.com/2015/08/17/thanks-to-the-bionic-ear-a-five-year-old-boy-can-hear-for-the-first-time-322/

Caiden Moran, an active and curious five-year-old is a success story for many children like him who suffer from deafness. He is able to hear sounds for the first time because of an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) commonly called a bionic ear.

A clinical trial uses bionic ear technology for deaf children between 2 and 5 years

The ABI or ‘bionic ear’ developed by the House Research Institute in California targets deaf children who are born without cochlea. The cochlea is the part of the ear that senses sound and conveys this information to the brain for sound processing. Therefore, in infants born without cochlea, traditional cochlear implants are futile; they require strategies that alter sound processing at the brain level. This formed the basis for the 5-year clinical trial approved by the FDA and backed by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Deafness and Communications Disorders (NIDD).

This multi-institute trial began in 2014 in conjunction with the Children’s hospital at Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. It recruits children between 2 and 5 years of age who have been unresponsive to standard treatment such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. So far 5 out of the proposed 10 candidates have successfully received implants.

How does the bionic ear work?

The ABI attaches to the side of the head and consists of a microphone and a transmitter that converts external sounds to electrical signals. A receiver implanted in the brain stem receives the electrical signals and stimulates the auditory neurons present in the brain. This process therefore mediates hearing by circumventing the inner ear entirely.

Bionic ears have been approved for use in adults with brain tumors on the hearing nerve, but were found to be minimally effective. It is hoped that younger kids like Caiden would respond better to them given the fact that their brains are more adaptable.

The outlook for children implanted with the bionic ear

Caiden was implanted with the device in January 2015, and has shown positive signs of responding to auditory cues in his therapy sessions. Scientists believe that in case of auditory implants, the earlier you intervene, the better the chances of the brain to learn and respond to sounds. Caiden has a long road to recovery ahead; his brain is slowly getting used to the concept of sound and reacting to it. Nevertheless, he’s part of the nascent yet exciting history of the ‘bionic ear’.

 > If you’ve a hankering to learn more on Deaf Culture, check this one out.

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Thanks to the Bionic Ear a Five-Year Old Boy Can Hear for the First Time

The First Deaf Contestant on America’s Next Top Model - http://clapway.com/2015/08/09/nyle-dimarco-first-deaf-contestant-on-americas-next-top-model123/

The Deaf community is growing, as is awareness of the culture. As such, we are starting to see more and more deaf people in the public eye.

America’s Next Top Model: The First Deaf Contestant

America’s Next Top Model, the famous reality television show, has hosted a diverse group of people in its 21 show “cycles.” However, the show has only recently (within the last few cycles) added boys and transgendered cast members. Now, they welcome their first deaf contestant, Nyle DiMarco, to the 22nd cycle. DiMarco, who was discovered through social media and Models.com, an online modeling agency, is a 2013 Gallaudet graduate with a slew of acting and modeling experience under his belt. He will be joining the spotlight in the entertainment industry alongside Marlee Matlin and Sean Berdy, both of whom he co-stared with in a few episodes of ABC’s hit TV-show, Switched at Birth.

Deaf People In Show Business

America’s Next Top Model is not the only show currently employing Deaf community members. Switched as Birth, as previously mentioned, focuses on the Deaf community and features several deaf actors. There are also various films you can find in Sign Language, as well as countless deaf actors, actresses, producers and even filmmakers. To note one person in particular, Ann Marie (“Jade”) Bryan, the founder of DeafVision Filmworks, is the first black, deaf, and female filmmaker to graduate from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Furthermore, the National Theater Association of the Deaf also presents various deaf events, including Immersion Theater, which hosts workshops to help introduce actors to theatricalized American Sign Language.

Deaf People in the Work Force

Members of the deaf community can hold just about any job a hearing person can. To thrive in the workplace, they have found resourceful ways to communicate with their bosses and coworkers and do not like to be considered “handicapped.” Yet, many individuals still face discrimination in the workplace.

Nyle DiMarco’s alma mater is celebrating his new path on American’s Next Top Model, as is most of the deaf community. However, there are still great strides that need to be made, as   people still continue to fight for rights in several areas of society.

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The First Deaf Contestant on America’s Next Top Model

I would really love to know what other members of the deaf community think about gene therapy and how they feel about the possibility of hearing again. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/13/how-gene-therapy-might-restore-hearing-in-the-future/

Hearing loss affects five percent of the population. Five percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but in reality, it’s 360 million people worldwide. That’s a lot of people. As you know from my previous blogs, there’s a special place in my heart for the deaf community, so I find any related information interesting. When I saw the study done with gene therapy on deaf mice, I had to find out more.

The Deaf Culture

Many adults who are deaf were not born that way. I had a teacher when I was learning Sign Language explain to us that she was born hearing, but lost the ability as a child due to meningitis.

Medical technology was not as advanced and this is the outcome for several older deaf people. While deafness can be caused by various circumstances, it is not always the case that a person who is deaf would prefer the ability to hear.

Speaking from my experience in the community, I have known people who are perfectly happy and healthy being deaf and when asked if the opportunity ever arose to change their hearing status, they say they would decline. I know that part of the reason, for a few of these people, is that they don’t want to go through surgery to implant devices or have to mess with hearing aids all the time. They’ve lived their whole lives being deaf and don’t see it as a “disorder” or a “disability.” However, there are those that would accept a change in their hearing abilities. Each person will have their own opinion, and nothing is wrong with either side of it, but I’m very interested to see how this gene therapy study will impact the community.

What is Gene Therapy?

Gene therapy is a type of treatment still in the experimental phase. It involves taking genetic material and introducing it into a person’s cells to fight, or in some cases prevent, a disease. Research is being done with a number of diseases to see how well gene therapy will work in each scenario.

These diseases include immune deficiency disorders, Parkinson’s, some forms of cancer and even HIV. Various approaches are being taken in the testing process, such as replacing a mutated gene, taking out a mutated gene, or introducing a new gene into the body.

Restored Hearing in Mice with Genetic Deafness

While this study is still very experimental, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School have had successfully restored the hearing of mice with a genetic deafness in their test group. Improvements still need to be made, and while this type of therapy isn’t quite ready for clinical trials, the researchers are hopeful that they can be working with people in the near future.

As I mentioned before, the people I know are very torn on the subject. While I think it’s an enormous breakthrough for people who have lost their hearing later in life, I’m not sure that people who were born deaf would feel the same way.

I would really love to know what other members of the deaf community think about gene therapy and how they feel about the possibility of hearing again. Are you a part of the community? I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments section! 

How Gene Therapy Might Restore Hearing in the Future