Biomarkers linked to cochlear nerve damage in adults with sensorineural hearing loss
Official title: Biomarkers of cochlear synaptopathy and their relation to suprathreshold hearing disorders in humans with sensorineural hearing loss
Funded at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary · NIH-11397421 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project to find biological markers of cochlear nerve damage and see how they relate to hearing problems like difficulty hearing in noise and tinnitus in adults with hearing loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 2, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $578,157 |
| NIH project number | 5P50DC015857-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397421 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older with sensorineural hearing loss, including those with high-frequency loss or flat hearing loss and Ménière’s disease.
✕Less likely to help
People without measurable cochlear nerve degeneration or those not participating in tests and assessments may not benefit.
What this research studies
This program focuses on understanding how damage to the cochlear nerve fibers relates to real-world hearing problems. Researchers will examine human participants with sensorineural hearing loss and study how neural degeneration in the ear might connect to word recognition in noisy settings and tinnitus. The work builds on animal studies and uses human tests and imaging to identify markers that reflect nerve health in the ear. The goals include comparing people with high-frequency loss and those with flat hearing loss to see how markers differ and what that means for treatment options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to biomarkers that help tailor therapies for difficult listening situations and tinnitus.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown correlations between cochlear nerve markers and speech understanding in difficult listening environments in adults with normal hearing; this project extends that to those with hearing loss.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maison, Stéphane F. — Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
- Study coordinator: Maison, Stéphane F.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding why phantom sounds and intolerance to sounds happen after hearing loss
This grant investigates why some adults with hearing loss experience tinnitus, hyperacusis, and trouble ignoring background noise, and how brain changes relate to these symptoms.
-
Cochlear nerve connections and hearing loss in human temporal bones
A large, patient-facing research effort analyzes how nerve connections in the inner ear deteriorate in people with sensorineural hearing loss by studying post-mortem human temporal bones.
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Cochlear nerve disease and how it affects hearing in models of hearing loss
This grant studies how damage to the nerves of the ear happens and how it affects hearing in noisy places, using animal models to inform future human therapies.
-
Sensorineural hearing loss and how it affects understanding speech
This project explores why people with similar hearing loss have different abilities to understand speech, especially in noisy places, and aims to uncover the brain and ear mechanisms behind these differences.
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Understanding why some people with hearing loss can’t understand speech in noise
This grant studies why some people with hearing loss can’t understand speech in noisy environments, even when they can hear it, to identify new ways to help them hear and understand better.
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Why some adults get tinnitus, sound sensitivity, or trouble hearing in noisy places
Researchers will link ear-nerve damage and the brain's overreaction to explain tinnitus, sound sensitivity, and difficulty hearing in background noise in adults with sensorineural hearing loss.
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.