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Efficient Characterization of Central Auditory Dysfunction
Project: "Efficient Characterization of Central Auditory Dysfunction [NIH R01]"
Eligibility: Adults 18 years or older with normal hearing
Goal: Develop novel and efficient tests for clinical diagnosis of auditory dysfunction
Contact Info: Auditory & Speech Sciences Laboratory; Email: assl@usf.edu; Phone: 813.974.4148;
Mention the "EMR01 Hearing Study."
Learn more... For the vast majority of people with hearing loss, treatment decisions are based primarily on a basic audiological assessment including case history, otoscopy, evaluation of middle ear status, and hearing thresholds or audiogram. The audiogram measures the performance of the auditory system at the threshold of hearing, but the sounds that are important in people's lives are often at much higher levels. The most common auditory complaint is difficulty understanding speech in a noisy environment, such as a family gathering. The goal of this project is to develop auditory assessments that measure how listeners are able to encode and process sounds that are clearly audible. The development of these new assessments leverages our current understanding of auditory neuroscience, computational modeling, and psychoacoustics to create efficient tests for clinical diagnosis. The new test battery will expanding our understanding of central auditory dysfunction and support novel diagnostic and treatment approaches.
The project consists of four stages. In the first stage, psychometric properties of
various laboratory measures will be assessed to determine the best assessment of a
given dysfunction and the most efficient method to administer each test on a table
device platform. The second stage consists of the development of an application platform
for tablet computers, supporting the controlled administration of a battery of tests
in a variety of experimental and clinical environments. Stage three consists of the
evaluation of each test in the battery on a large number of young listeners with healthy
hearing. This will establish normative ranges for each test and provide data that
will be useful in computational models of auditory processing. Finally, stage four
consists of the deployment of the assessment battery in two groups of listeners for
whom the audiogram is a poor predictor of difficulty understanding speech in a noisy
environment: older patients and those with a history of traumatic brain injury.
The long-term goal of this research is to bridge the gap between current theory in
auditory neuroscience and clinical standard of care by creating tests that efficiently
characterize central auditory dysfunction. Information gained in this study will be
used as a foundation for the development and evaluation of novel treatments and provide
a platform for large-scale clinical research projects.
Listening sessions will span several 2-hour sessions over days or weeks. We will evaluate your hearing status using conventional audiometry and engage you in several listening tasks to answer key questions about auditory perception. You will be compensated with an hourly payment for your participation.
Please contact us to participate!