Investigating how age and hearing loss affect brain processing of sound
Official title: Age and hearing loss effects on subcortical neural encoding
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11049107 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how older adults struggle to understand speech in noisy places because of hearing loss, and it aims to learn more about how their brains process sounds differently as they age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $188,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC020559-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11049107 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults experiencing age-related hearing loss and younger adults for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with normal hearing who are not experiencing age-related hearing loss may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores the challenges older adults face with speech recognition, especially in noisy environments, due to age-related hearing loss. It focuses on understanding how the brain's auditory system, particularly the midbrain, responds to sounds and how this response changes with age and hearing impairment. By examining the relationship between brain activity and hearing difficulties, the study aims to identify the underlying mechanisms that contribute to these challenges. The research employs advanced techniques to measure brain responses to sound stimuli in different age groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments and interventions for speech recognition difficulties in older adults with hearing loss.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding auditory processing in older adults, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcclaskey, Carolyn Marie — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Mcclaskey, Carolyn Marie
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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.