DEVELOPMENT AND PLASTICITY IN NORMAL AND IMPAIRED EARS

这个项目的长期目标是确定 传导性和感觉神经性听力损失对听力的影响 无论是儿童还是成人。一个主要的焦点是慢性中耳炎的影响。 渗出性媒体(OME)对儿童听力发育的影响 该项目这一领域的具体目标包括阐明原因。 在有OME病史的儿童中减少MLDs，并检查 刺激复杂性与单耳加工缺陷的关系 在这样的孩子身上。一个重要的相关目标是增加 对发展复杂听觉相关知觉的理解 听力正常儿童的听觉声源分离。这个 该项目的第二个主要焦点是感觉神经性听力的影响。 对儿童听力发育的影响。这里有一个明确的目标 是从基础的角度来描述早期感音神经性听力损失 心理声学能力，并将所获得的结果与 成年后获得损失的听众。一个相关的目标将是 比较与以下因素相关的剥夺/适应效果 助听器在儿童较大的中枢神经承受力 耳蜗区是正常的，但毗邻 听力损失很严重。我们将确定是否有证据表明 在年轻的听众中，使用心理物理和电生理 方法：研究方法。在他提出的许多研究中，一种普遍的策略(两者 传导性和感觉神经性)将比较成人之间的结果 和儿童研究与可塑性有关的问题，以便 确定可能的年龄影响。在这两个项目领域，主要的 心理物理方法将是三选一的强迫选择测验 通过耳机进行声音演示。项目的所有阶段都将 包括年龄匹配的对照受试者，他们的结果将促进我们的 对正常听力的理解。数据将使用分析进行分析 方差性和相关性程序。

The long term aim of this project is to determine the effect of conductive and sensorineural hearing losses on auditory perception in children and in adults. One major focus is the effect of chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) on the development of hearing in children. Specific aims in this area of the project include elucidating the causes of reduced MLDs in children with history of OME, and examining the relationship between stimulus complexity and monaural processing deficits in such children. An important related aim is to increase the understanding of the development of complex auditory perceptions related to auditory sound source segregation in normal-hearing children. The second major focus of the project is the effect of sensorineural hearing loss on the development of hearing in children. One specific aim here is to characterize early sensorineural hearing loss in terms of basic psychoacoustic abilities, and to compare results obtained with those of listeners with losses acquired in adulthood. A related aim will be to compare deprivation/acclimatization effects that are associated with hearing aids in children relatively large central neural commitment of cochlear regions that are normal but are adjacent to regions where hearing loss is severe. We will determine whether there is evidence for this in young listeners, using psychophysical and electrophysiological methods. A prevailing strategy across many of he proposed studies (both conductive and sensorineural) will be to compare results between adults and children when examining issues related to plasticity, in order to determine possible age effects. In both project areas, the primary psychophysical method will be three-alternative forced-choice testing with sound presentation over earphones. All phases of the project will include age-matched control subjects whose results will further our understanding of normal hearing. Data will be analyzed using analysis of variance and correlation procedures.