Effects of Protective Measures against COVID-19 on Auditory Communication for People with Hearing Loss

WHO has recommended various measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including mask-wearing and physical distancing. However, these changes impair communication for individuals with hearing loss. We investigated the changes in auditory communication associated with COVID-19 measures in 269 patients (male: 45.7%, female: 54.3%, median age: 54 y.o.). Most patients with hearing loss had difficulty engaging in auditory communication with people wearing masks, especially in noisy surroundings or with physical distanc-ing. These difficulties were noticeable in patients with severe hearing loss. Developing communication support strategies for people with hearing loss is an urgent need while COVID-19 measures are in place

Expression analysis of microRNAs in murine cochlear explants

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play functional roles in sound transduction in cochlea. This study focuses on the validity of cochlear culture as an in vitro experimental tool, in view of miRNA expression. E15 cochleae were dissected and maintained in vitro for 48 h before extraction of miRNAs. MiRNA expression was comprehensively screened in explanted cochleae using a miRNA array that covers 380 miRNAs. A strong correlation was observed between expression levels of miRNAs in in vitro and in in vivo cochleae. Levels of 43 miRNAs were altered in vitro and these changes were reproducible over three trials. These findings indicate that in vitro miRNA profiling is a viable method for analysis of gene expression and action of chemical compounds on cochleae