Bilateral hearing: how the two ears combine to understand sound
Official title: Bilateral integration of the auditory scene
Funded at Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge · NIH-11353895 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying how the brain combines information from both ears to tell whether a sound comes from one source or multiple sources, which could help people with hearing difficulties.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baton Rouge, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $361,649 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC019348-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11353895 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with auditory processing challenges or tinnitus who could benefit from improved understanding of bilateral sound processing.
✕Less likely to help
The research is focused on basic brain mechanisms; direct benefit to any single patient in the short term is not guaranteed.
What this research studies
This grant explores how the brain’s auditory system binds bilateral sound signals to create a coherent perception of complex environments. Researchers will look at neural pathways between the inferior colliculus and the contralateral medial geniculate body to understand how two ears work together. The work aims to map how excitatory and inhibitory signals coordinate across the two sides of the brain to support accurate sound localization and recognition. Findings could shed light on conditions like tinnitus and central auditory processing disorders and inform new approaches to hearing health. The project is conducted at Louisiana State University with a focus on human-relevant brain mechanisms involved in auditory integration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to better diagnostics and therapies for people with hearing disorders and difficulties processing sounds from both ears.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports that bilateral auditory pathways contribute to sound integration, but the specific commissural projection system studied here is less explored and represents a novel direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Charles C — Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge
- Study coordinator: Lee, Charles C
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.