Project 1 - Research Audiology, Speech Perception, and Psychoacoustics

项目1 摘要 我们的长期目标是改善年龄相关性听力损失(ARHL； 老年性耳聋)，已知影响近70%的70岁以上的美国人。ARHL干扰 通过降低声音的可听性和降低语音的可理解性来进行有效的交流 安静和嘈杂的背景。这项研究的总体目标是识别和理解有效的 调节ARHL的方法。其核心假设是，有针对性的治疗干预将 在外周和中枢听觉系统内诱导可塑性，改变复合增益的功能 机制，导致改善定义老年性耳聋的慢性缺陷。这项开创性的研究使用了 在老化的听觉系统中诱导功能变化的创新催化剂。我们将利用跨项目 以比较的方法确定结果的知觉、神经生理学和分子基础 外周和中枢听觉可塑性。目标1集中在使用激素(醛固酮)的潜力上 补充以改善外周和中枢听觉功能。目标2和目标3检验了一系列假设 确定了增强声学诱导的老年人神经可塑性的性质和大小 环境(AAE)。靶向ARHL缺陷包括响度增长、时间处理和语音 噪声处理。行为和电生理测量的组合以及 纵向和横截面设计将作为更广泛的比较研究的基础 求婚。这里提出的全面框架是我们所知的第一个将基础和 解决中枢听觉可塑性的应用方法和AHRL的改善 快速将研究结果转化为临床实践--NIA和NIH的首要目标。

Project 1 ABSTRACT Our long-term goal is to ameliorate the debilitating consequences of age-related hearing loss (ARHL; presbycusis) that are known to impact nearly 70% percent of Americans over the age of 70. ARHL interferes with effective communication by reducing the audibility of sounds, and degrading the intelligibility of speech in quiet and noisy backgrounds. The overall objective of this research is to identify and understand effective methods for modulating ARHL. The central hypothesis of this is that targeted therapeutic interventions will induce plasticity within the peripheral and central auditory system, altering the function of complex gain mechanisms, leading to amelioration of chronic deficits that define presbycusis. This pioneering research uses innovative catalysts to induce functional changes in the aging auditory system. We will leverage cross-project comparative methods to identify the perceptual, neurophysiological, and molecular bases of the resulting peripheral and central auditory plasticity. Aim 1 focuses on the potential to use hormone (aldosterone) supplementation to improve peripheral and central auditory function. Aims 2 and 3 test a series of hypotheses that establish the nature and magnitude of neural plasticity in older adults induced by augmented acoustic environments (AAE). Targeted ARHL deficits include loudness growth, temporal processing, and speech in noise processing. A combination of behavioral and electrophysiological measures and a combination of longitudinal and cross-sectional designs will serve as the basis for the broader comparative research of this proposal. The comprehensive framework proposed here is the first to our knowledge combining basic and applied methods to address central auditory plasticity and the amelioration of AHRL in a manner that allows rapid translation of findings to clinical practice – the foremost goal of NIA and NIH at large.