据1997年11月14日出版的《科学》周刊报道，华盛顿大学药物与遗传学系的Lunch等人最近对致聋基因进行了鉴定。在被研究的家族中，10岁左右时耳聋发生率还很低，到30岁时耳聋程度恶化且多为双耳变聋。双亲均聋的家庭，孩子耳聋发生率为50％，且男女之中发生率相同。这一家族耳聋 According to a November 14, 1997 issue of the journal Science, Lunch et al., Department of Medicine and Genetics, University of Washington, recently identified the gene for deafness. In the study of the family, the incidence of deafness is still very low around the age of 10, deafness worsened by the age of 30 and mostly deaf. Families with deaf parents, children with deafness rate of 50%, and the same incidence among men and women. This family is deaf