National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Usher syndrome, type 1


Other Names:
USH1A; Usher syndrome, type 1A; Usher syndrome, type I, French variety; USH1A; Usher syndrome, type 1A; Usher syndrome, type I, French variety; Retinitis pigmentosa and congenital deafness; USH1; US1 See More
Categories:
This disease is grouped under:
Usher syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by sensorineural hearing loss or deafness and progressive vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa. Sensorineural hearing means it is caused by abnormalities of the inner ear. Retinitis pigmentosa is an eye disease that affects the layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina). Vision loss occurs as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate. Night vision loss begins first, followed by blind spots that develop in the side (peripheral) vision, that can enlarge and merge to produce tunnel vision (loss of all peripheral vision). In some cases, vision is further impaired by clouding of the lens of the eye (cataracts). Three major types of Usher syndrome have been described - types I, II, and III. The different types are distinguished by their severity and the age when signs and symptoms appear. All three types are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[1] Treatment for the hearing loss may include hearing aids or surgery for a cochlear implant. Vitamin A palmitate is useful for treating the vision loss in people with Usher syndrome type II.[2]
Last updated: 3/16/2017

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
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HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal cochlea morphology 0000375
Abnormal electroretinogram 0000512
Ataxia 0001251
Global developmental delay 0001263
Hemianopia 0012377
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ] 		0001249
Iris hypopigmentation
Light eye color
0007730
Nyctalopia
Night blindness
Night-blindness
Poor night vision
[ more ] 		0000662
Scotoma 0000575
Sensorineural hearing impairment 0000407
Vestibular hypofunction 0001756
Visual loss
Loss of vision
Vision loss
[ more ] 		0000572
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Aplasia/Hypoplasia of the cerebellum
Absent/small cerebellum
Absent/underdeveloped cerebellum
[ more ] 		0007360
Cataract
Clouding of the lens of the eye
Cloudy lens
[ more ] 		0000518
High hypermetropia
Severe farsightedness
Severe long-sightedness
[ more ] 		0008499
Schizophrenia 0100753
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of dental enamel
Abnormal tooth enamel
Enamel abnormalities
Enamel abnormality
[ more ] 		0000682
Anxiety
Excessive, persistent worry and fear
0000739
Cerebral cortical atrophy
Decrease in size of the outer layer of the brain due to loss of brain cells
0002120
Depressivity
Depression
0000716
Hallucinations
Hallucination
Sensory hallucination
[ more ] 		0000738
Subcortical cerebral atrophy 0012157
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Absent vestibular function 0008555
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Motor delay 0001270
Rod-cone dystrophy 0000510
Undetectable electroretinogram 0000550
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
Usher syndrome is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[1] This means that a person must have a disease-causing change (mutation) in both copies of the gene associated with the syndrome in each cell to have Usher syndrome. One mutated copy is typically inherited from each parent, who are each referred to as a carrier. Carriers of an autosomal recessive condition usually do not have any signs or symptoms.

When two carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have children, each child has a 25% (1 in 4) chance to have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) chance to be an unaffected carrier like each parent, and a 25% chance to not be a carrier AND not be affected.
Last updated: 3/16/2017

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Usher syndrome, type 1. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Patient Registry

  • A registry supports research by collecting of information about patients that share something in common, such as being diagnosed with Usher syndrome, type 1. The type of data collected can vary from registry to registry and is based on the goals and purpose of that registry. Some registries collect contact information while others collect more detailed medical information. Learn more about registries.

    Registries for Usher syndrome, type 1:
    My Retina Tracker®
    The Usher Syndrome Registry
     

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Usher syndrome, type 1. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Usher syndrome. Genetics Home Reference (GHR). 2016; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/usher-syndrome.
  2. Keats BJB & Lentz J. Usher Syndrome Type II. GeneReviews. 2016; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1341/.