Sensorineural hearing loss (also called nerve deafness or sensorineural deafness) is loss of hearing resulting from problems in the inner ear, in the nerve from the inner ear to the brain, or in the brain.

Although sensorineural hearing loss is considered an idiopathic (no known cause) condition, researchers believe that other factors besides age (as in presbycusis), hereditary (as in hearing loss at birth and later in life) and environmental and physical factors (as in trauma-induced problems,...