Inner‑ear nerve damage and its link to trouble hearing in noise, tinnitus, and sound sensitivity
Biomarkers of cochlear synaptopathy and their relation to suprathreshold hearing disorders in humans with sensorineural hearing loss
Looks for hidden inner‑ear nerve damage that may explain trouble understanding speech in noise, tinnitus, and sound sensitivity in adults with sensorineural 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 ID | NIH-11158997 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use detailed hearing tests, speech‑in‑noise tasks, and physiological ear‑nerve recordings to look for signs of cochlear synapse loss (hidden nerve damage) in adults. They will enroll people with high‑frequency hearing loss and people with late‑stage Ménière's disease to compare how nerve loss relates to real‑world hearing problems. The team will link these biomarker measures to word‑recognition scores and symptoms such as tinnitus and sound intolerance. Testing will include audiograms, specialized neural measures, and patient questionnaires about listening difficulties.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) with sensorineural hearing loss, especially those with high‑frequency loss or late‑stage Ménière's disease who report difficulty hearing in noisy places, tinnitus, or sound sensitivity.
Not a fit: People under 21, those with purely conductive (middle‑ear) hearing loss, or those without trouble hearing in challenging listening environments are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help clinicians detect hidden nerve damage in the inner ear so patients with difficulty hearing in noise get clearer diagnoses and more targeted care.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and prior human work have linked cochlear synapse loss to hearing‑in‑noise problems, and the investigators have reported correlations in normal‑hearing listeners, but applying these biomarkers to people with threshold shifts and Ménière's is a newer step.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- 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.
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.