Debara Tucci
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Duke Cochlear Implant Program
Appointment:
Debara Tucci
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Duke Cochlear Implant Program
The focus of current research efforts is in defining the effects of conductive hearing impairment on the development and function of the central auditory system. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand the impact of hearing loss, such as that associated with otitis media, on the development of auditory function in children. Experiments are currently being performed in which central auditory system activity is studied using the 2-deoxyglucose method following unilateral neonatal conductive hearing loss. Future experiments will examine changes in cell structure and interneuronal connections following acute and chronic conductive hearing loss in both neonatal and adult animals.
A second research program is focused on issues related to the cochlear implant. The cochlear implant is a device which allows for electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in profoundly deaf patients. It has previously been demonstrated in animal studies as well as in human tissue histopathology that degeneration of central auditory pathways occurs following severe damage to the inner ear. It has been suggested that the introduction of electrical stimulation via a cochlear implant may prevent or reverse some of these degenerative changes. Experiments conducted previously examined this issue in the neonatally and adult deafened rat. Tissue analysis is currently undergoing completion.
Publications
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Patterson RH, Suleiman O, Hapunda R, Wilson B, Chadha S, Tucci D. Towards universal access: A review of global efforts in ear and hearing care. Hear Res. 2024 Apr;445:108973.Bianchi DW, Brennan PF, Chiang MF, Criswell LA, D’Souza RN, Gibbons GH, et al. The All of Us Research Program is an opportunity to enhance the diversity of US biomedical research. Nat Med. 2024 Feb;30(2):330–3.Prasad K, Borre ED, Dillard LK, Ayer A, Der C, Bainbridge KE, et al. Priorities for hearing loss prevention and estimates of global cause-specific burdens of hearing loss: a systematic rapid review. Lancet Glob Health. 2024 Feb;12(2):e217–25.Tucci DL. NIDCD's 5-year strategic plan seeks innovations in assistive device technologies. J Neural Eng. 2024 Jan 10;21(1).
See more publications at Scholars@Duke