感觉神经性耳聋是由内耳，前庭耳蜗神经（第VIII号脑神经）或中枢听觉系统的病变造成的耳聋。感觉神经性耳聋分有先天与后天之分。先天性耳聋可由耳蜗的发育不全，胆脂瘤等原因造成。后天性感觉神经性耳聋的常见原因有内耳感染，耳毒药物的侵袭、头部外伤、高分贝噪音（参见噪音性耳聋）、衰老（参见老年性耳聋）、自免疫反应等。 目前感觉神经性耳聋的主要治疗方法包括助听器或人工耳蜗的佩戴。助听器的主要功能是对环境声响的放大，使受损频率成分的声音达到病人的听觉阈之上；人工耳蜗将声音信息转化为电信号，直接对耳蜗螺旋中心的听神经施加电刺激。这两种方法都要求中枢听觉系统的完好。

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a type of hearing loss, or deafness, in which the root cause lies in the inner ear or sensory organ (cochlea and associated structures)or the vestibulocochlear nerve (cranial nerve VIII)or neural part. SNHL accounts for about 90% of hearing loss reported. SNHL is generally permanent and can be mild, moderate, severe, profound, or total. Various other descriptors can be used such as high frequency, low frequency, U-shaped, notched, peaked or flat depending on the shape of the audiogram, the measure of hearing.