Influences of the Efferent System on Human Auditory Function

 描述(申请人提供)：虽然目前的听力设备改善了安静环境中的听力，但它们在嘈杂背景下提高语音理解能力的作用很小。这项研究计划的长期目标是充分了解听觉感知和负责适应局部声景的生理机制之间的关系。这一特殊应用的目的是利用知觉、电生理和听觉建模技术，了解内侧橄榄耳蜗(MOC)反射在正常听力和听力受损听者对波动声音的感知和在噪声中的言语表现中的作用。这项研究的中心假设是，耳蜗性听力损失限制了MOC反射调节耳蜗增益的能力，从而阻止了与该反射相关的假定的知觉和神经益处。这项拟议的研究的基本原理是，详细描述MOC反射对人类听觉功能的影响可能有助于更好地理解为什么听力设备对改善听力受损成年人的噪声中的言语表现几乎没有好处。这一详细描述将通过完成以下具体目标来获得：1)确定MOC反射在检测噪声中的时间波动和识别语音音节中的作用；2)确定诱发同侧MOC反射对复合词的影响 对有耳蜗性听力损失和无耳蜗性听力损失的受试者的动作电位(CAP)进行研究；以及3)模拟有耳蜗性听力损失和无耳蜗性听力损失的受试者的MOC反射对听功能的影响。这种方法是创新的，因为它将来自正常和受损知觉和电生理学的经验结果与使用计算听觉模型的量化理论框架联系起来。这项拟议的研究具有重要意义，因为它有望导致1)清楚地了解MOC反射在听力系统正常和受损的人类中的作用，2)评估MOC反射对听觉功能的影响的有效程序，3)受MOC启发的用于听力设备的新的信号处理算法，以及4)通过改善与家人、朋友和同事的沟通来改善听力受损个人的生活质量。为了实现这一应用的研究目标，首席研究员(PI)设计了一个职业发展计划，以获得语音感知和电生理方法方面的专业知识，并深化计算听觉建模方面的专业知识。这些领域的培训将通过与PI的指导/咨询小组中的资深科学家进行频繁的沟通和有计划的指导活动来获得。这一培训将为PI提供成为独立调查员所需的技能，并为研究生产力的职业生涯做准备。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although current hearing devices improve listening in quiet environments, they do little to improve speech understanding in noisy backgrounds. The long-term goal of this research program is to fully understand the relationship between auditory perception and physiological mechanisms responsible for adapting to the local soundscape. The objective of this particular application is to understand the role of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex in the perception of fluctuating sounds and on speech-in-noise performance in normal hearing and hearing impaired listeners using perceptual, electrophysiological, and auditory modeling techniques. The central hypothesis of the proposed research is that cochlear hearing loss limits the ability of the MOC reflex to regulate cochlear gain, thus preventing the putative perceptual and neural benefits associated with the reflex. The rationale of the proposed research is that a detailed description of the influence of the MOC reflex on human auditory function has the potential to translate to a better understanding of why hearing devices provide little benefit to improving speech-in-noise performance in hearing impaired adults. This detailed description will be obtained by completing the following specific aims: 1) Determine the role of the MOC reflex in the detection of temporal fluctuations and the identification of speech syllables in noise; 2) Determine the effect of eliciting the ipsilateral MOC reflex on the compound action potential (CAP) in human subjects with and without cochlear hearing loss; and 3) Simulate the influence of the MOC reflex on auditory function in listeners with and without cochlear hearing loss. This approach is innovative because it links empirical findings from normal and impaired perception and electrophysiology to a quantitative theoretical framework using a computational auditory model. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to lead to 1) a clear understanding of the role of the MOC reflex in humans with normal and impaired auditory systems, 2) effective procedures for evaluating the influence of the MOC reflex on auditory function, 3) novel MOC-inspired signal processing algorithms for hearing devices, and 4) a better quality of life for hearing impaired individuals by providing improved communication with family, friends, and co-workers. To achieve the research objectives of this application, the principal investigator (PI) has designed a career development plan to acquire expertise in speech perception and electrophysiological methods, and deepen expertise in computational auditory modeling. Training in these areas will be obtained by frequent communication and planned mentoring activities with senior scientists in the PI's mentoring/advising team. This training will provide the PI with the skills needed to become an independent investigator, and prepare for a career of research productivity.