| SOME BENEFITS OF
TEMPORAL BONE RESEARCH |
If you have hearing
loss, a balance problem, or facial nerve paralysis, you can help find new treatments and
cures for ear problems by donating your temporal bones to scientific research.
THANK YOU TO 6300 INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE ALREADY DONATED THEIR TEMPORAL BONES!
Thanks to those who contributed their
temporal bones in the past, many advances in understanding and treating ear disorders have
been made. But there are many other disorders that we need to learn more about. Those
living today who agree to donate their temporal bones after death can still make a great
contribution. The research they make possible will provide millions with the gift of
hearing in the future.
FINDING NEW TREATMENTS & CURES
By studying donated temporal bones, researchers have gained
new knowledge about hearing, balance, and facial nerve problems, and have developed
effective new medical and surgical treatments. Here are just a few examples:
Hearing Loss Due to Aging
(Presbycusis)
Research scientists have found that as we age, we lose the sensory hair cells and other
structures within the cochlea of the inner ear This leads to a type of hearing loss called
presbycusis (pres-bee-KU- sis). By studying temporal bone samples, they have discovered
that there are actually four major types of presbycusis. With this information, auditory
specialists can now better advise you about the hearing aid that will best meet your
needs.
Otosclerosis
In a condition called otosclerosis (o-tow-skle-RO-sis), spongy bone tissue grows around
one of the tiny bones of the middle ear (the stapes bone) and prevents it from moving.
Temporal bone research has shown how this condition can cause both conductive and
sensorineural hearing loss. This research has also led to a better understanding of
stapedectomy, a surgical procedure used to treat individuals with otosclerosis.
Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV)
In people suffering from this common disorder, dizziness occurs in certain head positions.
Using temporal bones donated by people with BPV, researchers found the cause to be located
in one of the three semicircular canals. With this information, health care professionals
have been able to develop effective physical exercise and surgical procedures to relieve
the problem.
Meniere's Disease
People with Meniere's disease suffer from bouts of dizziness, ringing in the ears, and
hearing loss that comes and goes. In studying temporal bones donated by people with
Meniere's disease, researches found the condition was caused by an increase in the amount
of fluid in the inner ear. This knowledge has led to several medical and surgical
approaches to relieve the symptoms of this disease. |
