Auditory neuropathy (AN) occurs when the nerve system of the
inner ear fails to process sounds coming from the outer ear. The
outer ear sends vibrations to the inner ear during the hearing
process. Hair cells in the inner ear break down the vibrations
into electrical signals. These are sent to the brain. The brain
filters them as sound. There is debate about the exact cause of
AN. It may be due to: - Damage to the hair cells in the inner
ear - Bad connections between the hair cells in the inner ear
and the nerve to the brain - Damaged nerve - A mixture of these
problems These factors increase your chance of developing AN: -
Family history of hearing loss - Lack of oxygen at birth - Very
low birth weight - Gilbert's syndrome (a genetic disorder) that
requires a blood transfusion - Neurological disorders (eg,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome , Friedreich’s ataxia ) -
Infectious disease (eg, mumps ) - Immune disorders - Exposure to
chemicals or medicines (eg, aminoglycosides, loop diuretics)
that cause hearing loss