DarDar Hearing Study

Study runs 2010 - 2015.

Several studies have shown that HIV+ individuals develop hearing problems at a high rate. But how frequently this occurs, and the reasons for it, are not known.

The National Institute for Deafness and Communications Disorders is sponsoring the DarDar hearing study to determine how frequently hearing problems develop in HIV+ adults and children. Also, this study is examining the relationship of hearing loss to drugs, infections, and the duration of HIV treatment. Both adults and children with HIV, and with HIV and tuberculosis, are enrolled in the study and followed over time at the Infectious Disease Center in Dar es Salaam.

At the clinic, the study participants complete a battery of auditory tests using a laptop-based, hearing assessment system that includes standard audiometry, distortion product otoacoustic emission testing, a gap detection test, and tympanometry. Participants also complete a questionnaire asking about their exposure to other factors that might affect their hearing (e.g. noise, other drugs, chemicals). Individuals with significant hearing loss requiring amplification are fitted with hearing aids from Solar Ear equipped with a solar battery charger.