KCNQ4 and presbycusis: KCNQ4 is also predicted to be a candidate gene for age-related hearing loss (ARHI) since KCNQ4 mutation families have similar pattern of hearing loss with ARHI, especially a unique pattern of hearing loss with striking resemblance to ARHI, in which only the high frequencies were progressively affected while the lower frequencies remained intact until an older age [18].