How loud noise can change the brain's sound decisions
Official title: Effects of noise-induced hearing loss on auditory decision-making
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11425431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how loud noise-related hearing loss may affect how people process sounds and make quick decisions about what they hear.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $542,818 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DC023926-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11425431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for noise-induced hearing loss seeking better understanding of its cognitive impacts.
✕Less likely to help
People without hearing loss or related cognitive concerns may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how hearing loss from loud noise changes brain signals involved in turning sound into decisions. They will use animal models to measure brain activity in auditory and parietal areas during listening and decision tasks, before and after inducing permanent hearing loss. The study also tracks how brain circuits adapt over time with techniques that visualize and manipulate neural activity. The goal is to understand why NIHL can impair attention and decision-making, which may inform strategies to protect or rehabilitate listening abilities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding the brain changes from NIHL could lead to better interventions to preserve hearing-related decision-making in adults with noise-induced hearing loss.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows NIHL affects auditory processing; this project extends that to cognitive decision-making with neural recordings.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yao, Justin Daniel — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Yao, Justin Daniel
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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.