Automatic test to pinpoint types of hearing damage
An analytical technique to evaluate early auditory evoked potential morphology
['FUNDING_R21'] · UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11241156
This project tests an automated way to read tiny brain responses to sound to help people with hearing loss know which part of their hearing system is affected.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R21'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (LOGAN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11241156 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would sit for a routine hearing session where sounds are played and sensors record early brain responses (auditory evoked potentials). Researchers will use automated algorithms and AI to extract detailed features from those waveforms instead of relying on slow visual inspection. The goal is to remove manual tuning so the method works across different datasets and users, potentially including comparisons with animal or lab data to improve the models. If accepted to participate, your recordings could help create a tool that identifies sensory versus nerve problems more reliably than typical hearing tests.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with unexplained or variable hearing loss who are willing to have auditory brain responses recorded during a clinic visit.
Not a fit: People with only routine, well-characterized conductive hearing loss or those unable to tolerate scalp sensors may not gain direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give people clearer, more tailored information about which part of their hearing system is damaged, guiding better treatment choices.
How similar studies have performed: Previous automatic AEP methods exist but often needed manual adjustments; this project aims to further automate and generalize those approaches, so it is partially building on prior work but has new elements.
Where this research is happening
LOGAN, UNITED STATES
- UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY — LOGAN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KAMERER, ARYN — UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: KAMERER, ARYN
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.