A Gene for Uncomplicated Deafness in the Mouse

Deafness associated with locomotor disturbances of labyrinthine origin (head shaking, circular movements) has been known in the mouse for many years, and there are at least ten different gene mutations which produce this syndrome (with or without additional anomalies). Grüneberg (1947) remarked that at first sight it seems remarkable that all the known types of inherited deafness in rodents should be associated with locomotor disturbances. However, shaking and circling are too obvious to be missed, and once detected such mutants will of course be tested for their sense of hearing. Deafness not so ‘labelled’ is unlikely to be discovered in a mouse or rat unless specifically looked for and no such systematic search has so far been made. It is thus quite likely that the absence of ‘uncomplicated’ deafness in rodents is spurious and simply due to the bias against their detection. The fact that there are locomotor disturbances without deafness would seem to support such a suggestion.