Hearing

Recent articles

Research image of a Pacinian corpuscle in a mouse.

Touch sensors detect subtle environmental vibrations, send information to auditory midbrain

Pacinian corpuscles sense high-frequency vibrations from meters away and send the information to a different circuit than other touch signals, according to a pair of new studies.

By Calli McMurray
20 August 2024 | 8 min read
Closeup photograph of an infant lying in a bassinet under white sheets with their left hand lifted close to their ear.

New technique details brainstem’s response to sounds

By revealing differences between autistic and non-autistic children, it could help identify autism in babies.

By Maaisha Osman
4 April 2023 | 4 min read
Single astrocyte on black background.

Mouse studies cast astrocytes as stars of sensory perception

Data from two separate research teams suggest the cells are key to sensory hypersensitivity in fragile X syndrome.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 November 2022 | 4 min read
Dr. Edgar helps the participant prepare for the magnetoencephalography (MEG) exam.

Auditory cortex may develop early in autism

A well-studied brain response to sound appears earlier than usual in young children with autism.

By Nora Bradford
16 September 2022 | 3 min read

Top autism candidate gene tied to newly identified syndrome

Mutations in the autism-linked gene PAX5 underlie a range of traits, including developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures and autism.

By Peter Hess
17 February 2022 | 4 min read
grid of 12 views of mouse neurons.

Loss of autism-linked gene alters synapse development in mice

Mice missing a copy of the gene ASH1L have excess synapses and autism-like behavioral differences, some of which are reversed by boosting an ASH1L-regulated gene.

By Laura Dattaro
25 January 2022 | 4 min read
Person itching back of neck.

Sensory issues linked to heart-rate differences in autistic youth

Autistic children with sensory issues show more intense physiological reactions to unpleasant sounds and other sensations than their non-autistic peers do, a new study shows.

By Peter Hess
5 April 2021 | 4 min read
Mouse with her pup

Malfunctioning neurons mute sound processing in mouse model of Rett syndrome

Female mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene MECP2 in a specific set of inhibitory neurons have a hard time heeding pups’ calls and herding litters.

By Peter Hess
14 January 2021 | 3 min read
Infant in hospital blankets undergoes a hearing test.

Infant hearing test might be sound predictor of autism

Babies who are later diagnosed with autism have a sluggish brain response to sound on a universal newborn hearing screen.

By Taylor White
3 December 2020 | 4 min read
Toddler vocalizing next to parent.

Autistic toddlers do not tune in to sounds with others

Unlike typical toddlers, those with autism tend not to share experiences involving sound — dancing to music with their parents, for example, or calling attention to the source of a sound.

By Peter Hess
2 October 2020 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neuroscientists fear Trump’s DEI order may tank diversity-focused grants

Programs that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion in the field may be at risk, leaving researchers in a “holding pattern,” according to one grant recipient.

By Angie Voyles Askham, Claudia López Lloreda
24 January 2025 | 5 min read
Photograph of Floyd Bloom.

Remembering the life of neuropharmacologist Floyd Bloom

The co-author of the classic textbook “The Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology” and pioneer in studying the roles of neurotransmitters in the brain died on 8 January at 88 years old.

By Sydney Wyatt
24 January 2025 | 7 min read
Research image of circuits emerging from striosomes in the striatum.

Newly characterized striatal circuits add twist to ‘go/no-go’ model of movement control

The two novel pathways control dopamine release in opposing ways and may link motivation and mood to action, a new study shows.

By Claudia López Lloreda
24 January 2025 | 4 min read