How hearing loss could be treated with epilepsy drug

Could a drug used to treat epilepsy also prevent hearing loss?

That’s the theory behind a new trial at Washington university School of Medicine, where 50 participants will be given an anti-epileptic drug (zonisamide), an antiinflammatory, or a placebo once a day for two weeks, and their hearing monitored after exposure to loud noise.

It’s thought the drugs repair damage to the inner ear for up to two weeks after it occurred.

Previous research on mice found that zonisamide can reduce the risk of noiseinduced hearing loss when given within 24 hours.