4/15/2024 0 Comments Decibel scale hearing damage![]() ![]() “Under normal conditions, at least in the brain, but perhaps also in the inner ear, ‘free’ zinc functions by fine-tuning synaptic communications between nerve cells and helps sensory processing. So, just as zinc is associated with cellular damage in other parts of the body, it is now believed to play a role in hearing loss. It hasn’t been looked at as a mechanism for hearing loss.Ī 2023 study found that in stroke patients, following a cerebral ischemia, “intracellular zinc accumulation has been shown to be associated with neuronal death.” Zinc is found throughout the body, but it is highly concentrated in the inner ear.ĭysregulation of zinc signaling has been investigated in other traumatic experiences, including stroke and optic nerve damage, where it’s been associated with tissue damage. “The most significant contribution I believe is that it allows us to direct further studies and research regarding noise-induced hearing loss with zinc chelation,” he told Medical News Today. Marc Feeley, an assistant professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee who was not involved in the study. ![]() Most importantly, we are the first to show that noise-induced hearing loss can be mitigated by administering compounds that chelate, or trap, excess free zinc,” Thanos Tzounopoulos, PhD, the director of the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh and senior author of the study, told Medical News Today. We also are the first to document the dysregulation of zinc signaling in the inner ear after loud noise exposure. “Our study is the first to identify the precise location of labile zinc signaling in the inner ear. They said the findings could one day help to prevent NIHL in the future. By using a chelating agent, a drug that was able to soak up that excess zinc, researchers reported that they could reduce hearing loss. The discovery also led the scientists to discover a potential cure as well. This dysregulation of zinc in turn led to damage and degeneration at the cellular level, manifesting as hearing loss. Labile zinc is zinc that is “free” and has not bound to a protein. Researchers reported that when mice were exposed to loud noises the rodents’ labile zinc levels spiked. Zinc plays an important role in the body, including supporting the immune system and chemical signaling in the brain. In the study, scientists found that loud noises affected parts of the ear on a molecular level, disrupting hearing function specifically having to do with the mineral zinc in the cochlea, a spiral-shaped cavity in the inner ear that converts sound waves into electrical impulses that the brain interprets as sound frequencies. ![]()
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