Study of Hearing Instability Disorders to Identify Biomarkers and Develop New Measures Including MRI and Blood Tests for Adults Ages 18 to 80

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating disorders of hearing instability, such as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, autoimmune inner ear disease, Menieres disease, and enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome. These conditions cause fluctuations in hearing thresholds and speech understanding, which are not well understood or effectively treated. The study aims to develop a cohort of patients with hearing instability and correlate hearing changes with radiologic and immunologic markers over time. Participants will undergo detailed evaluations including medical and hearing history reviews, physical exams, balance tests, and hearing tests involving headphones or earplugs. They will also have specialized MRI scans of the inner ear and brain with contrast agents, and blood samples will be collected to analyze immune markers. The study includes healthy volunteers to establish baseline imaging standards. Participation lasts up to 15 months, during which participants will have repeated assessments at multiple time points. These include phenomic measurements related to hearing instability, hearing function tests, vestibular tests, and immunologic profiling. Researchers will monitor changes over time to identify clinical subtypes and potential therapeutic targets, with safety and immune status evaluations throughout the study period.

Deep Phenotyping of Hearing Instability Disorders: Cohort Establishment, Biomarker Identification, Development of Novel Phenotyping Measures, and Discovery of Therapeutic Targets