ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND COCHLEAR FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS

听力是一种重要的感觉，对个人的日常功能至关重要。听力损失有可能对个人的生活产生负面影响，特别是老年人（例如，Cruickshanks等人，1998b）。随着老年人口的增加，听力损失的老年人数量将会增加。需要研究的一个领域是澄清影响老年人听觉功能的危险因素。这很重要，因为这项研究将有助于了解如何修改风险因素以保持老年人的听觉功能。长期目标是调查参加听力损失流行病学研究（EHLS） （AG11099）的老年人的耳蜗功能。该训练的第一个目的是确定老年人自我报告的心血管疾病和高血压如何影响耳蜗功能，这是通过畸变产物耳声发射（dpoae）测量的。初步建立血管功能与耳蜗功能之间的关系。第二个目的是确定颈动脉β模式超声扫描测量的动脉粥样硬化过程是否与dpoae相关。这些超声扫描将分级，并使用社区动脉粥样硬化风险（ARIC）协议计算内膜内壁厚度（IMT）。目的是阐明分级站点的平均IMT与DPOAE水平之间的关系。第三个目标是完成人口健康/流行病学硕士学位。这一目标将有助于实现长期目标，因为它将建立在申请人作为听力科学家的背景上，使申请人能够从流行病学的角度研究听觉功能。这种综合的听觉研究方法目前还没有被许多研究者所利用。

Hearing is an important sense that is crucial to an individual's everyday functioning. Hearing loss has the potential to have a negative impact on the lives of individuals, particularly older adults (e.g., Cruickshanks et al., 1998b). As the older population gets larger, the number of older people with hearing loss will increase. One area of research needed is to clarify the risk factors that affects auditory function in older adults. This is important because the research will contribute to an understanding of how risk factors can be modified to preserve auditory function in older adults. The long-term goal is to investigate cochlear function in older adults participating in the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) (AG11099). The first aim of the proposed training is to determine how self-reported cardiovascular disease and hypertension in older adults affect cochlear function as measured by distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). This aim will establish a preliminary relation between vascular function and cochlear function. The second aim is to determine if atherosclerotic processes as measured by beta-mode ultrasound scans of the carotid arteries are associated with DPOAEs. These ultrasound scans will be graded and intimalmedial wall thickness (IMT) will be calculated using the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) protocol. This aim will clarify the relation between mean IMT at the graded sites and DPOAE level. The third aim is to complete an M.S. degree in Population Health/Epidemiology. This aim will contribute to the long-term goal in that it will build on the applicant's background as a hearing scientist enabling the applicant to study auditory function from an epidemiologic perspective. This integrated approach to auditory research is not currently utilized by many researchers.