A non-invasive approach, that uses musical tones to balance brain activity, can 'reset' the brain and effectively reduce insomnia, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found. Charles H. Tegeler, M.D., professor of neurology at Wake Forest Baptist and principal investigator of the study explained how the technology works.

Going deaf? Blame a genetic mutation, linked with Usher syndrome type 1, says the latest finding, which could help develop more effective ways of treating this syndrome. Usher syndrome is a genetic defect that causes deafness, night-blindness and a loss of peripheral vision through the progressive degeneration of the retina.

Seventy-two percent of teens experienced reduced hearing after being exposed to blasting rock shows by a popular female singer. M. Jennifer Derebery, physician from the House Research Institute, and colleagues tested teens' hearing before and after the concert.

Spectacles that project subtitles to a movie or television program onto the lens are being tested in Japan. The glasses were created by Japan's Olympus Corp. and the Media Access Support Centre, a non-profit organization that works to make films and DVDs more accessible to people with impaired hearing.

A low cost gene-based technology will detect hearing loss more quickly and cheaply than existing methods. Karen Avraham, professor at the Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, used 'exome deep sequencing' to detect deafness, which sequences thousands of genes at a time, along with Moein Kanaan, professor at Bethlehem University.

One in four teenagers are in danger of early hearing loss as a direct result of listening to music on their personal listening devices (PLDs) like MP3 players and iPods.

Some popular toys produce noise equal to that of a chain saw or rumble of a subway train and could damage hearing of children, reveal a study. Otolaryngology (dealing with the ear, nose and throat) researchers from the University of California Irvine tested 10 of the loudest toys available in stores and found that they exceed 90 decibels and several reached 100 or more decibels.

Where stem cell therapy has apparently failed, a tiny electronic device implanted in the inner year is offering hope to thousands of children suffering from acute hearing loss in the country who cannot be helped by hearing aids.

Parents, give a second thought the next time you pamper your children by giving them noisy toys.

Travelling in a convertible with its top down? Think again, as it might expose you to dangerous noise levels, reveals a new study