Hearing, thinking, language, and brain structure in Down syndrome
Auditory function, cognition, language and brain structure in Down Syndrome
This project looks at how hearing relates to thinking, language, and brain structure in children and adults with Down syndrome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11248824 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will measure hearing using objective tests such as auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs), and will do listening tasks like speech identification and sound localization. They will give tests of thinking, memory, attention, and executive skills to compare with hearing results. The team will also use brain scans to look at the structure of areas important for hearing. The work will compare whether differences remain after taking hearing loss into account, to understand how hearing problems affect development and cognition in people with Down syndrome.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Down syndrome across childhood into adulthood, especially those with suspected or known hearing problems, would be the best fit for this work.
Not a fit: People who do not have Down syndrome or who cannot travel to the study site are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help clarify how hearing problems contribute to learning and communication difficulties and point to better screening and targeted hearing or communication supports for people with Down syndrome.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows hearing loss can affect cognition in the general population, but combining objective auditory testing, cognitive measures, and brain imaging specifically in Down syndrome is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Litovsky, Ruth Y — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Litovsky, Ruth Y
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.