What is Deafness? A Basic Definition

Deafness \Deaf"ness\, n.
   1. Incapacity of perceiving
         sounds; the state of the organs
      which prevents the
         impression which constitute hearing;
      want of the
         sense of hearing.
      [1913 Webster]

   2.
         Unwillingness to hear; voluntary rejection of what is
     
         addressed to the understanding.
      [1913 Webster]

  
         Nervous
         deafness, a variety of deafness dependent upon
     
         morbid change in some portion of the nervous system,
     
         especially the auditory nerve.
      [1913 Webster]

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Off-site Deafness Links, User Submitted

The following links have been collected through user bookmark submission in the Deafness category. Please note, because these resources are off-site we cannot guarantee the accuracy or quality of any information.

Fri Aug 29

• Cure for deafness now within reach: Cure for deafness now within reach Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 27/08/2008 Deaf people could one day have their hearing restored through a groundbreaking gene therapy technique, a new study suggests
• 'Gene hairs' could cure deafness - Telegraph: Research looking at new ways to use gene therapy to stimulate hair growth in the cochlea, enabling the restoration of hearing.

Thu Aug 28

• Neatorama " Blog Archive " Gene Therapy May Cure Deafness
• Ear Hairs being grown: Hope for the hearing loss
• Milestone reached in search for deafness cure - New Scientist: "A neurobiologist who is profoundly hard of hearing has developed an experimental gene therapy that generates the type of cells that are damaged or missing in deaf animals. Mice embryos were injected with a key developmental gene that led to the production of ear cells that convey sounds to the brain ? a scientific first. ... Milestone though it may be, the advance represents only an incremental step in the search for a treatment to human hearing loss, says lead author John Brigande of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. "We' re really far away from a cure for deafness," ; says Brigande, who began losing his own hearing aged 10 and now hears nothing out of his left ear and only poorly out of his right."
• Gene therapy could lead to a cure for deafness, scientists reveal | Mail Online

Wed Aug 27

• Gene therapy 'may repair hearing': BBC (28 Aug 208) : Gene therapy has the potential to restore hearing in mice, offering hope for humans too, US scientists suggest. An Oregon team discovered gene transfer produced functioning hair cells that are essential for the inner ear to interpret sounds, Nature reports. In people with normal hearing, cochlear hair cells convert sound into electrical signals, which are ultimately transmitted to the brain. Once the cells are lost or damaged, they cannot be replaced naturally.
• health deafness biotech: health deafness biotech
• Spin City
• deaf weather: a sign language based weather site - recommended by a friend from high school
• Described Caption Media Program :: DCMP.org: This website acts like NetFlix for those who need captioned materials for students in their classes with hearing or visual impairments. A great resource for our teachers.

Off-site Deafness Research Links

If you still need additional information on Deafness then we suggest the following off-site resources. Please note, because these resources are off-site we cannot guarantee the accuracy or quality of any information.