Genetic Causes of Hearing Loss

Abstract
Hearing loss is the most common sensory defect in humans, affecting normal communication in 10 percent of people aged 65 years or older. In most cases, hearing loss is a multifactorial disorder caused by both genetic and environmental factors. However, single-gene mutations can lead to hearing loss. In these cases, hearing loss is a monogenic disorder with an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, or mitochondrial mode of inheritance. These monogenic forms of hearing loss can be syndromic (characterized by hearing loss in combination with other abnormalities) or nonsyndromic (with only hearing loss). This review focuses on nonsyndromic hearing loss, since . . .