Identification and Management of Hearing Disorders

Research Overview

Our group investigates hearing disorders in patients of all ages from newborns to the elderly. The work is primarily clinical (patient based) and involves research in the fields of diagnostic audiology, auditory neuroscience and remediation of hearing deficit. The group comprises clinicians from a range of professional specialties including audiology, genetics, ophthalmology, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, speech pathology as well as physicists and engineers working with hearing aids and other auditory devices.

We are currently undertaking research projects in the following areas:

  • The neurologic bases of hearing impairment
  • Identification and management of auditory neuropathy
  • Auditory deficits in neurodegenerative disease
  • Multisensory neuropathies
  • Auditory evoked potential assessment of infants and newborn babies
  • Auditory deficits in autism
  • Central auditory processing disorders in children
  • The effect of hearing impairment on general wellbeing in children and adults - including the effects of auditory deficits on stress and anxiety
  • The effects of school classroom acoustics on auditory processing and educational progress in normally hearing and hearing impaired children
  • The application of novel auditory devices for the remediation of hearing impairment in children and adults
  • Longitudinal changes in auditory processing processing ability in elderly Australians.

Staff

Collaborators

Research

  • Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)
  • Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research
  • Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI)
  • Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance – Clinical Network
  • Florey Neurosciences Institute
  • Alfred Hospital – Dept of Neuroscience
  • Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital
  • Bionics Institute
  • Victorian Department of Education & Training
  • Monash University, Department of Population Health

Commercial

  • Phonak Hearing Systems
  • Sonova Org
  • Cochlear Org

Funding

  • National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
  • Victorian Department of Education and Training
  • Deafness Foundation
  • Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital
  • Jack Brockhoff Foundation
  • Collier Foundation
  • Sonova Org
  • Phonak Org.
  • The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre

Research Outcomes

Rance G  (In Press).  Auditory Processing in Individuals with Auditory Neuropathy.  In: Auditory Processing Disorders: Management & Treatment (3rd Edition).  Geffner & Ross-Swain (Eds), Plural Publishing.

Carew P, Mensah FK, Rance G, Flynn T, Poulakis Z, Wake M.  (In Press).  Mild-Moderate Congenital Hearing Loss: Secular Trends in Outcomes of Mild-Moderate Congenital Hearing Loss Across Four Systems of Detection.  Child Care Health and Development.

Corben LA, Klopper F, Stagnitti M, Georgiou-Karistianis N, Bradshaw JL, Rance G, Delatycki MB. Measuring inhibition and cognitive flexibility in Friedreich ataxia (2017).The Cerebellum, 16(4), 757-763.

Graydon K, Rance G, Dowell R, Van Dun B. (In Press).  Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-term Binaural Processing.  Ear Hear.

Rance G, Chisari D, Saunders K, Rault JL (2017).  Reducing Listening-Related Stress in School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 47(7), 2010-2022.

Rance G, Chisari D.  (2016). Auditory Neuropathy in a Patient with Hemochromatosis.  J Otology, 11(4), 185-192.

Zanin J, Rance G. (2016). Functional hearing in the classroom: assistive listening devices for hearing-impaired students in a mainstream school setting. (International Journal of Audiology). 55(12), 723-729

Rance G, Chisari D, Edvall N, Cameron F. (2016).  Functional Hearing Deficits in Children with Type 1 Diabetes.  Diabetic Medicine, 33(9), 1268-1274.

Lowthian JA, Britt CJ, Rance G, Lin FR, Woods RL, Wolfe R, Nelson MR, Dillon HA, Ward S, Reid CM, Lockery JE, Nguyen TT, McNeil JJ, Storey E. (2016).  Slowing the progression of age-related hearing loss: rationale and study design of the ASPIRIN in HEARING, Retinal vessels Imaging and Neurocognition in older Generations (ASPREE-HEARING) trial.  Contemporary Clinical Trials 46, 60-66.

Tomlin D, Rance G. (2016).  Maturation of the central auditory nervous system in children with auditory processing disorder. Sem in Hear. 37, 74-83.

Rance G, Starr A.  (2015).  Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Functional Hearing Consequences of Auditory Neuropathy.  Brain 138:3141-3158.

Rance G, Starr A.  (2015). Auditory Neuropathy/Dys-synchrony.  In Comprehensive Handbook of Pediatric Audiology. Seewald & Tharpe Eds.  (2nd Edition).  pp227-246 Plural Publishing, San Diego

Tomlin D, Dillon H, Sharma M, Rance G. (2015). The Impact of Auditory Processing and Cognitive Abilities in Children.  Ear Hear  36(5), 527-542.

Rance G, Chisari D, O’Hare F, Roberts L, Shaw J, Jandeleit-Dahm K, Szmulewicz D (2014).  Auditory neuropathy in individuals with type 1 diabetes.  Journal of Neurology, 261, 1531-1536.

Tomlin D, Rance G. (2014).   Long-term hearing deficits following childhood middle-ear disease.  Ear & Hearing, 35, 233-242.

Rance G. (2014).  An Update on Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder in Children.
Proceedings Article from: Sound Foundation Through Early Intervention Meeting (2013), 137-144.

Rance G (2014). In Children with Chronic Otitis Media, Auditory Training Is a Challenge, Hearing Journal, 67(7), 18-20.

Rance G. (2014). Wireless Technology for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Seminars in Hearing, 35, 217-226.

Rance G, Saunders K, Carew P, Johansson M, Tan J. (2014).  The Use of Listening Devices to Ameliorate Auditory Deficit in Children with Autism.  Journal of Pediatrics, 164, 352-357.

Vitkovic J, Winoto A, Rance G, Dowell R, Paine M. (2013).  Vestibular Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients with and without Vestibular Migraine. Journal of Neurology, 260(12), 3039-3048.

Rance G. (2013).  Hearing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  Hearing Journal, 66(7), 4-5.

Starr A, Rance G. (2014). Auditory Neuropathy.  Handbook of Clinical Neurology.  Elsevier UK.

ML. Kennerson, EM Yiu, DT Chuang,  A Kidambi, SC Tso, C Ly, R Chaudhry, AP. Drew, G Rance,   MB Delatycki, S Zuchner, MM Ryan and GA Nicholson. (2013). A New Locus for X-linked Dominant Charcot Marie Tooth Disease (CMTX6) is Caused by Mutations in the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase Isoenzyme 3 (PDK3) Gene. Human Molecular Genetics. 22(7), 1404-1416.

Rance G, Corben LA, Delatycki MB (2012).  Auditory pathway changes mirror overall disease progression in individuals with Friedreich ataxia.  Journal of Neurology, 259, 2746-2748.

Rance G, Ryan MM, Carew P, Corben LA, Yiu E, Tan J, Delatycki MB. (2012). Binaural Speech Processing in Individuals with Auditory Neuropathy. Neuroscience, 226, 227-235.

O’Hare F, Rance G, McKendrick AM and Crowston J (2012).  Auditory and visual temporal processing in open angle glaucoma.  Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 53 (10), 6512-6518.

Rance G. (2012). Controversies persist in audiologic treatment of ANSD. Hearing Journal, 65(5), 5-6.

O’Hare F, Rance G, McKendrick AM and Crowston J (2012).  Is primary open angle glaucoma part of a generalised sensory neurodegeneration? : A review of the evidence. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 40(9), 895-905.

Rance G, Corben C, Delatycki M (2012).  Auditory Processing Deficits in Children with Friedreich Ataxia. J Child Neurol, 27(9), 1197-1203.

Rance G  (2012).  Auditory Processing in Individuals with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.
In: Chapter  8 in Auditory Processing Disorders: Management & Treatment.  Geffner & Ross-Swain (Eds), Plural Publishing pp185-209.

Rance G, Ryan MM, Bayliss K, Gill K, O’Sullivan C, Whitechurch M. (2012).  Auditory Function in Children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease.  Brain. 135, 1412-1422.

Rance et al. (2012). Auditory Function in Individuals within Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Pedigrees.  Journal of Neurology, 259(3), 542-550.

Henshall KR, SergeJew AA, McKay CM, Rance G (2012).  Interhemishperic transfer time in patients with auditory hallucinations: an auditory event-related potential study.  Int J Psychophys 84, 130-139.

Rance et al. (2012).  Auditory Processing Deficits in Individuals with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma - Evidence for Neuronal Susceptibility Outside the Visual Pathways. International Journal of Audiology, 51(1), 10-15.

Research Publications

Rance, G., Rickards, F.W., Cohen, L.T., De Vidi, S., & Clark, G.M. (1995).  The automated prediction of hearing thresholds in sleeping subjects using auditory steady-state evoked potentials.  Ear and Hearing, 16, 499-507.

Rance, G., Beer, D.E., Cone-Wesson, B., Shepherd, R.K., King, A., Rickards, F.W., & Clark, G.M. (1999).  Clinical findings for a group of infants and young children with auditory neuropathy.  Ear & Hearing, 20 (3), 238-252.

Rance, G., Fava, R., Baldock, H., Chong, A., Barker, E., Corben, L. & Delatycki, M. (2008).  Speech perception ability in individuals with Friedreich ataxia.  Brain, 131, 2002-2012.

Rance G, Ryan MM, Bayliss K, Gill K, O’Sullivan C, Whitechurch M. (2012).  Auditory Function in Children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease.  Brain. 135, 1412-1422.

Rance G, Starr A.  (2015).  Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Functional Hearing Consequences of Auditory Neuropathy.  Brain 138:3141-3158.

Tomlin D, Dillon H, Sharma M, Rance G. (2015). The Impact of Auditory Processing and Cognitive Abilities in Children.  Ear Hear  36(5), 527-542.

Graydon K, Rance G, Dowell R, Van Dun B. (In Press).  Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-term Binaural Processing.  Ear Hear.

Carew P, Mensah FK, Rance G, Flynn T, Poulakis Z, Wake M.  (In Press).  Mild-Moderate Congenital Hearing Loss: Secular Trends in Outcomes of Mild-Moderate Congenital Hearing Loss Across Four Systems of Detection.  Child Care Health and Development.

Zanin J, Rance G. (2016). Functional hearing in the classroom: assistive listening devices for hearing-impaired students in a mainstream school setting. (International Journal of Audiology). 55(12), 723-729

Research Projects


Faculty Research Themes

Neuroscience

School Research Themes

Neuroscience & Mental Health


Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact Associate Professor Gary Rance

Department / Centre

Audiology and Speech Pathology

Unit / Centre

Identification and Management of Hearing Disorders

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