NIHRDataInsights/HRCSData huggingface dataset:
Title: A game-play based immersive hearing skills training app to improve personal confidence and hearing capability in social and work environments for people with age related hearing loss.
Funder: Innovate UK

Abstract: ear_gym_ Ltd. (ear_gym_) is a UK SME operating in the hearing health/well-being sector with a core team of Amanda Philpott, Andy Shanks, Jennifer Birtles and Morgan Crawford. Although age-related hearing loss is prevalent globally, knowledge of its correlation with social isolation, mild cognitive impairment and dementia is relatively recent. Many people do not yet recognise the importance of hearing health and do not seek treatment, while current treatment options or training programmes are often expensive and/or limited in functionality/outcome. ear_gym_ is seeking funding to address this by providing people with the tools to proactively take control of their hearing health through a personalised, enjoyable and affordable game-based digital auditory training programme. ear_gym_ is closely aligned with the Healthy Ageing Challenge to keep people active, productive, independent and socially connected for as long as possible. Helping people maintain and improve their hearing will provide health benefits for the user and cost-saving benefits for the NHS and global healthcare systems in terms of preventing associated cognitive decline, as well as significant workplace-based economic benefit; the annual global economic cost of hearing loss is estimated to be $981 billion (£25 billion in the UK) (McDaid et al., 2021) through lost productivity and early retirement.


Research activity codes: 5.6 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL
Health categories: EAR
Title: Project 39277 Covid
Funder: Innovate UK

Abstract: **Public description** Occupational hearing loss is the most prevalent occupational disease in industrialised countries with up to 24% of hearing impairment attributed to occupational noise. It is a Global challenge with significant economic social and physiological impacts that result in preventable ill health for millions of people. In the US over 10 million workers suffer from the effects of hearing loss due to excessive noise exposures on the job with \\\>1.1M UK workers exposed to noise above 85dB and therefore at risk of hearing damage. Despite this prevalence, technological advancement in protection equipment in recent decades has been severely limited, failing to keep pace with user requirements. Passive ear defenders (plugs/muffs) remain the mainstay providing a fixed level of protection but failing to address key user challenges such as interference with on-the-job communication with users often required to remove hearing protection to communicate -- inadvertently exposing themselves to damaging noise, product misuse (studies indicating that up to 40% of workers are inadequately protected by earplugs through poor fitting) with limited awareness of the surrounding environment during use (audibility of safety/warning signals). Eartex, a London based SME, seeks to address these challenges through the development of the first ear defender headset (EAVE) that uniquely combines the capability of real-time monitoring and reporting of noise exposure, personalised hearing protection and wireless communication into a single product and at a cost to enable mass deployment. Through the collaboration with BAM Nuttall the approach offers: 1\. A wireless mesh network headset for dynamic group communication, self-programmable to the user and changing environment noise levels 2\. Real-time Fit Check and hearing test built in to the device to indicate product misuses 3\. Real-time mapping of noise exposure and personalised reporting to include 'risk awareness alerts' that automatically identify changes in sound from a normal working environment, both protecting works and identifying maintenance issues/asset integrity. With support through Innovate UK a 21-month programme of research is required to deliver a prototype validated by end-users in a pilot study. If successful this combined functionality has the potential to truly disrupt the hearables market with global exploitation potential as an Industry 4.0 product with wider potential in Healthcare and Consumer markets. For every £1 invested by taxpayers for this project, Eartex are forecast to return £10.90 within the first 5 years of operation.


Research activity codes: 3.2 INTERVENTIONS TO ALTER PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Health categories: EAR
Title: Mesh networked intelligent ear defenders for the prevention of occupational deafness and control of industrial noise risks
Funder: Innovate UK

Abstract: Occupational hearing loss is the most prevalent occupational disease in industrialised countries with up to 24% of hearing impairment attributed to occupational noise. It is a Global challenge with significant economic social and physiological impacts-that results in preventable ill health for millions of people. In the US over 10 million workers suffer from the effects of hearing loss due to excessive noise exposures on the job with \>1.1M UK workers exposed to noise above 85dB and therefore at risk of hearing damage. Despite this prevalence, technological advancement in protection equipment in recent decades has been severely limited, failing to keep pace with user requirements. Passive ear defenders (plugs/muffs) remain the mainstay providing a fixed level of protection but failing to address key user challenges such as interference with on-the job communication with users often required to remove hearing protection to communicate -- inadvertently exposing themselves to damaging noise, product misuse (studies indicating that up to 40% of workers are inadequately protected by earplugs through poor fitting) with limited awareness of the surrounding environment during use (audibility of safety/warning signals). Eartex, a London based SME, seeks to address these challenges through the development of the first ear defender headset (EAVE) that uniquely combines the capability of real-time monitoring and reporting of noise exposure, personalised hearing protection and wireless communication into a single product and at a cost to enable mass deployment. Through the collaboration with BAM Nuttall the approach offers: 1\. A wireless mesh network headset for dynamic group communication, self-programmable to the user and changing environment noise levels 2\. Real-time Fit Check and hearing test built in to the device to indicate product misuses 3\. Real-time mapping of noise exposure and personalised reporting to include 'risk awareness alerts' that automatically identify changes in sound from a normal working environment, both protecting works and identifying maintenance issues/asset integrity. With support through Innovate UK a 21-month programme of research is required to deliver a prototype validated by end-users in a pilot study. If successful this combined functionality has the potential to truly disrupt the hearables market with global exploitation potential as an Industry 4.0 product with wider potential in Healthcare and Consumer markets. For every £1 invested by taxpayers for this project, Eartex are forecast to return £10.90 within the first 5 years of operation.


Research activity codes: 5.3 MEDICAL DEVICES
Health categories: EAR
Title: Catching the high and the low: effects of stimulus characteristics and ageing on pitch discrimination
Funder: The British Academy

Abstract: Pitch is the auditory sensation of melody in a scale of high and low. Pitch in speech is vital to communication because it provides important information on, for example, emphasis and speaker emotion. Pitch in speech changes rapidly, and its tracking and interpretation requires auditory abilities. The accuracy of voice pitch perception declines with age but little systematic and linguistic research has been done on how such decline leads to challenges in speech communication. Our central question is how age-related hearing loss affects pitch perception. We propose to conduct experiments to clarify how young and old listeners differ in their capacity to track pitch movements. The results from the proposed research will not only provide useful new information to linguists, cognitive psychologists, hearing researchers, and hearing device developers, but also contribute towards mitigating communication challenges, alleviating social isolation and improving quality of life.


Research activity codes: 1.1 NORMAL BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONING;1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES
Health categories: EAR
Title: An open randomised study of autoinflation in 4 to 11 year-old school age children with otitis media with effusion in primary care
Funder: Department of Health (England)

Abstract: Introduction:Otitis Media with Effusion is the commonest chronic condition of childhood and affects about 80% of school children. It is also the commonest reason for childhood surgery. There are currently no proven effective non-surgical interventions that could augment NICE guidelines for active monitoring in a primary care setting where most children are seen.Objective:To assess the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of autoinflation in resolving cases of OME as seen in primary care before any intractable glue ear develops.Design Setting and Patients:The study is a randomised open pragmatic two arm study. Randomisation is to autoinflation plus usual care versus usual care alone. The setting is a primary care sample from 40 south England practices. Children are aged 4-11 years attending school listed with the practices and with symptom risk factors for OME and confirmed by tympanometry (at least one B tympanogram ear per child - risk of OME >90%) at study entry.Intervention:Autoinflation is by use of Otovent balloons inflated x3 per nostril per day for 1 to 3 months.Main outcome measure:The main outcome is the difference in proportions of children at 1 month showing clearance of an effusion in at least one of their ears as determined by resolution of a B tympanogram (denoting fluid) to an A or C1 type (normal functioning ear). Results:To be determinedConclusion:To be determined


Research activity codes: 5.4 SURGERY;5.3 MEDICAL DEVICES
Health categories: EAR
Title: Cost-effectiveness of screening for permanent hearing loss in children at school entry
Funder: Department of Health (England)

Abstract: This project will evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of hearing screening tests and the cost-effectiveness of screening for hearing impairment at school entry. Four related empirical studies will provide data to contribute together with routine data and existing literature to the development an existing economic model. (1) We will determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of two methods of screening for the identification of permanent hearing impairment at or around school entry; the established pure tone sweep test applied under headphones and a new hand-held pure-tone screener. (2) We will assess the yield referral age and route through assessment to intervention for permanent childhood hearing impairment and measure the costs of referrals for a geographical area which does not employ a routine School Entry Screen (SES). (3) We will collect the same data for an area with a routine SES and compare it with the data from the service with no SES. We will prospectively assess the impact for the child and the family of a positive result from a screen (both true and false positives) resulting in referral for further assessment. We shall address the issue of the impact of a potential false negative result by a comprehensive review of the existing literature. (4) We will determine the resource costs in implementing the two alternative screening methods in primary schools. Throughout the study we will develop an existing SES economic model to provide robust estimates of key parameters beyond accuracy to be assessed in Study 1. In particular the yield and nature of hearing loss detected in a system with no SES; and the yield consequences and costs of screen positive individuals in an SES system. Based on our findings we will make recommendations regarding the continued implementation of the SES and the form that implementation should take.


Research activity codes: 4.2 EVALUATION OF MARKERS AND TECHNOLOGIES;4.4 POPULATION SCREENING
Health categories: EAR
Title: MICA. Efficacy of Saracatinib (AZD0530) in treatment of chronic otitis media in the pre-clinical mouse models Junbo and Jeff
Funder: Medical Research Council

Abstract: Middle ear effusion without the symptoms of acute infection is termed otitis media (OM) with effusion (OME). Chronic OME (COME) is the most common cause of hearing impairment in children potentially causing language delays, learning and behavioural problems [1,2]. About 2.2 million episodes of COME occur annually in the US with an annual cost estimate of $4.0 billion [3]. The prolonged ventilation of the middle ear with tympanostomy tubes, also known as grommets, remains the preferred treatment for COME [4]. Placement of tympanostomy tubes is the most common operation in the UK (30,000 procedures per annum) however children have to undergo general anesthesia and the benefits of surgery for hearing are temporary [4]. Therefore there is a clinical need to develop new medical treatments based on the molecular pathways of OM. Our work on the chronic OM mouse models Junbo and Jeff has identified chronic inflammatory hypoxia as a key mechanism of OM pathogenesis. VEGFR signaling inhibitors moderate hearing loss in the Junbo model [5]. Children with OME have elevated VEGF protein in their ear fluids implicating its clinical relevance [6]. Src signaling plays a key role in regulation of vascular endothelium permeability induced by VEGF [7]. We hypothesize that increased vascular permeability in blood vessels of the inflamed middle ear mucosa is a key pathophysiological mechanism that generates fluid and inflammatory cell accumulation. Our objective is to explore Src kinase as a novel target for treatment of chronic OM by testing AZD0530 in our mouse models. 1.Davidson J et al (1989) Int J Ped Otorhinolaryngol 17:239-266 2.Kubba H et al (2000) Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci 25:181-194 3.Rosenfeld RM et al (2004) Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 130:S95-S118 4.Lous J et al (2005) Cochrane Database Syst Rev CD001801 5.Cheeseman MT et al (2011) PLoS Genetics 7:e1002336. 6.Sekiyama K et al (2011) Auris Nasus Larynx. 3:319-24 7.Hu G et al (2008) Chem Biol Interact 171:177-189


Research activity codes: 5.1 PHARMACEUTICALS;5.2 CELLULAR AND GENE THERAPIES
Health categories: EAR
Title: Transplantation of hESC-derived otic progenitors into models of neuropathic deafness:long term analysis and safety
Funder: Medical Research Council

Abstract: We have recently developed a method to generate otic progenitors from hESCs. Moreover, when these otic neuroprogenitors are transplanted into a deaf gerbil, they engraft, differentiate into auditory, spiral ganglion neurons and elicit a functional recovery measured by auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABRs). These advances open new possible therapeutic opportunities. In this project, we are planning to obtain necessary data to facilitate the development towards the clinical application. The general aim of the project is to study the long term impact and biosafety of hESC-derived otic neuroprogenitors. We will transplant them into a gerbil model of auditory neuropathy and will monitor the functional performance and general wellbeing of the host for a period of up to two years. Specific elements to determine are: actual need for immunosupression, since there is some indication that the inner ear could be an immuneprivileged site; dose-effect, to determine if applying different numbers of cells could have an impact on the histological structure and/or functional recovery; long term efficacy, to evaluate if the recovery obtained is sustainable in the long run and safety and biodistribution, to evaluate the long term implications on general welfare of delivering stem cells into the ear. Also to determine if they will remain localized to the ear or if they will spread to other tissues. Functional analysis will be done using ABRs and general histological studies will be facilitated by using fluorescently-tagged cells. We will determine if the transplanted cells are still proliferative by staining for markers like pH3 and PCNA. Sample tissue from key organs (brain, lung, liver, etc) will be taken for histological analysis and qPCR of reporter/marker genes, to detect if cells have colonized organs beyond the cochlea. Furthermore, the wider applicability of this treatment will be tested in models of auditory neuropathy on other species such as the mouse and rat.


Research activity codes: 5.2 CELLULAR AND GENE THERAPIES
Health categories: EAR
Title: The tectorial membrane and the sensory hair bundles of the inner ear: mechanisms of development and effects of deafness-related mutations.
Funder: Wellcome Trust

Abstract: The inner ear is a complex organ that provides us with our senses of hearing and balance. Faults in its structure or function can cause deafness and/or vertigo. These problems can be caused by genetic mutations that are passed on from generation to generation, or by excessively loud sounds, medicines and ageing. In certain cases, mutations make people extremely sensitive to the toxic side effects of some commonly used medicines. In other cases, they cause faults in the machinery of the inner ear . This research focuses on two, interconnected parts of this organ that are vital for hearing. One is a structure called the tectorial membrane and the other is the sensory hair bundle, a cellular device that converts the movements caused by sounds into the electrical signals that are detected by the brain. By studying mice with various genetic mutations, we will learn how these two key parts of the ear form, how genetic defects can affect the development of these structures and also cause progr essive forms of hearing loss, and how these mutations may worsen the adverse effects of loud sounds and increase the toxic side effects of certain medicines.


Research activity codes: 2.1 BIOLOGICAL AND ENDOGENOUS FACTORS
Health categories: EAR
Title: Stress granules and Caprin-1 in the cochlea: towards a new understanding of how the cochlea copes with stress. .
Funder: Wellcome Trust

Abstract: In order to understand why we go deaf we need to understand how the inner ear copes with stress and damage. Our ears undergo stress all the time, whether from chemicals, certain drugs or more typically as a result of the exposure to environmental noise. Such cochlear stressors contribute significantly to the loss of hearing as people age. Recent studies at the UCL Ear Institute have implicated a set of genes that regulate the assembly of structures know as stress granules in the response of the inner ear to stress. Stress granules put the cell in an emergency state where normal cellular processes are halted so the cell can focus on dealing with the stress. The main aim of this project is to better understand the role that stress granules play in keeping the sensory receptor cells that control our hearing and our balance in a healthy, functioning state. It will provide the first thorough characterisation of stress granules, their components and their formation in the inner ear. We will test whether manipulation of these stress granules can protect the sensory cells and thus preserve hearing during noise exposure, treatment with toxic drugs and ageing.


Research activity codes: 1.1 NORMAL BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONING;2.2 FACTORS RELATING TO PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Health categories: EAR
Title: Functional role of Synaptotagmins at ribbon synapses of mammalian cochlear hair cells.
Funder: Wellcome Trust

Abstract: Sound is detected by extremely sensitive sensory receptors named hair cells (HCs) that are located in the cochlea. The name HC derives from the hair-like elements (stereocilia) that project from the cell s apical surface. During sound stimulation the stereocilia vibrate initiating the conversion of sound into an electrical response. This electrical response induces HCs to release, from the basal-pole, specific chemicals (neurotransmitters), whose role is to activate adjacent auditory nerve fibre s so that the information gathered can be relayed to the brain enabling us to perceive sound. Like most sensory organs, the cochlea has to develop to a mature state before sound can be detected. An important step in cochlear maturation involves changes to the apparatus responsible for the release of neurotransmitter (exocytotic machinery), which have to occur before the onset of hearing. Our aim is to pinpoint these changes, the specific molecules involved and define their role in the normal development and function of the auditory organ. By revealing the main determinants of normal cochlear synaptic development, we hope that the information gathered here will help future studies aimed at repairing hearing loss due to damage or genetic defects.


Research activity codes: 1.1 NORMAL BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONING
Health categories: EAR
Title: The ribbon synapse in inner hair cells of the adult mouse cochlea.
Funder: Wellcome Trust

Abstract: Hearing a sound depends on a sequence of events involving both mechanical and neural interactions within the cochlea. When sound enters the inner ear, the induced mechanical vibration pattern is encoded accurately by the sensory hair cells and the result is sent along the auditory nerve to the brain. Such precise signalling between the inner hair cells and the nerve (at ribbon synapses) conveys information over a wide range of sound levels. Precisely how is unclear. This project is desi gned to study how ribbon synapses work in mature inner hair cells. It will use the mouse as the model system. Much of this work is based on new biophysical techniques for studying mature cells. The project is designed to uncover the cellular mechanisms of how sound is encoded by studying the differences in the signalling pathways at distinct synapses within a single inner hair cell. By studying adult cells the project will also address the question of what happens to the synaptic encoding when hearing begins to fail. This information bears on diagnostic techniques for hearing and how best to design cochlear implants in ageing populations.


Research activity codes: 1.1 NORMAL BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONING
Health categories: EAR
Title: Defining the cellular and molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial deafness
Funder: Wellcome Trust

Abstract: Hearing loss is becoming more common in our society affecting 10 million people in the UK. The only treatments available are cochlear implants or hearing aids. Unfortunately, these do not work for everyone. I will find an effective treatment for hearing loss by further understanding its causes. I am going to be working on a specific type of hearing loss caused by malfunction of mitochondria. These mitochondria are a part of every cell and produce the energy needed to keep cells alive. I will find out why changes to the mitochondrial genetic code lead to deafness. A common mechanism of mitochondrial deafness would mean we could design treatments, such as drugs, that either prevent the hearing deteriorating in the first place or even regenerate it. It is important to study rare forms of common diseases, such as hearing loss, as this will bring direct benefits to patients severely disabled with these rarer diseases. Moreover, major insights into disease mechanisms may lead to devel opment of therapies for more common conditions such as age related hearing loss.


Research activity codes: 2.1 BIOLOGICAL AND ENDOGENOUS FACTORS
Health categories: EAR;CONGENITAL DISORDERS