Breaking: A new test to help identify more genetic causes of deafness

Charity Action on Hearing Loss has revealed tonight that researchers have been developing a new test which can identify up to 34 causes of genetic hearing loss in children and its ready to be used in a trial.

The research, which was conducted by Doctors at the University of Antwerp, has led to a test that may help families learn about how the deafness could develop or if it will stay the same. Until now, the NHS were able to only screen for only one or two causes of deafness because of the costs and time involved. The new test, being piloted by Great Ormond Street Hospital next year, can provide much more information in the same amount of time and  for the same cost.

The test can even be expanded in future to give families an early indication of syndromes, like Usher syndrome, which can cause deaf-blindness and normally is only detected in young adulthood. For the moment though, the test is restricted to the most common genetic causes of hearing loss.

The full story is here: 

The report from the American Journal of Medical Genetics is here: