IMS Magazine Spring 2016

CURING

FEATURE

Dr. Vincent Lin

Development of New Treatment Strategies from Bench to Bedside

The Sonja N. Koerner Hearing Regeneration Initiative and Sunnybrook Cochlear Implant–Otology Research Program

By Vincent Lin, MD, FRCSC and Nils Gritters, B.Sc (Hons)

I Nils Gritters Faculty affiliations: Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Associate Scientist, Sonja N. Koerner Hearing Regeneration Initiative, Sunnybrook Research Institute

The Otology research program (http://sunnybrook.ca/ content/?page=otolaryngology-headneck-research) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has a bench to bedside philosophy for research into therapies 16 | IMS MAGAZINE SPRING 2016 SENSORY SYSTEMS

for hearing restoration. The team’s clinical research involves trials for new pharmaceuticals to treat diseases of the ear as well as research into improving current cochlear implants and testing new cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is a device that receives sound through an external microphone worn over the ear which then transmits that sound, as an electrical signal, to an implanted electrode which directly stimulates the auditory nerve. The auditory nerve then sends the electronic signals to the brain where they are processed as sound. There is a large amount of variability in the outcomes of patients with cochlear implants as some patients achieve close to normal speech recognition and others receive almost no benefit from their cochlear implant.10 One area of research involves the measurement of the functional state of inner ear neurons by measuring electrophysiological responses to sound stimuli to determine the effect this may have on cochlear implant outcomes. Additionally, the team conducts trials for new programming methodologies and clinical indications for

Photos provided by Dr. Vincent Lin and Nils Gritters

Sunnybrook Cochlear Implant Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Associate member, Institute of Medical Science

n humans, hearing loss is the most prevalent form of sensory impairment.

In Canada, 19% of people aged 20 to 79 have some degree of hearing loss.1 This number increases to 65% for individuals aged 70-79.1 According to Speech-Language and Audiology Canada, the estimated cost of hearing loss to the Canadian economy is over $10 billion each year.2 Hearing loss can reduce quality of life by impacting communication potentially leading to withdrawal, social isolation, and depression.3,4 In addition, hearing loss has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in elderly populations.5,6 Numerous studies have shown that the use of assisted hearing devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants can significantly improve quality of life in individuals with hearing loss and their families.7-9