Peripheral auditory signaling and the cochlear efferent system
Official title: Peripheral auditory signaling regulates the cochlear efferent system
Funded at Creighton University · NIH-11336218 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in adults will look at how hearing loss changes the brain’s feedback system to the ear and why that might make hearing worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Creighton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | March 5, 2021 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $319,980 |
| NIH project number | 2P20GM139762-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11336218 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with acoustic trauma or age-related hearing loss, or human samples/specimens related to LOC neuron function.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without hearing loss or ear-related conditions may not directly benefit from this basic animal study.
What this research studies
This project investigates how activity in the ear’s signaling pathways affects the cochlear efferent system, which provides feedback to the ear. Researchers will study two types of hearing loss in mice to understand changes in the lateral olivocochlear neurons and their gene expression. The goal is to uncover how peripheral hearing activity shapes the brain-ear communication across life, potentially guiding new strategies to protect or improve hearing. The work could illuminate why some people with hearing loss have different sensitivity to noise and how to tailor therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could lead to new approaches to preserve ear protection and improve hearing in people with hearing loss.
How similar studies have gone: Similar work in animal models has shown that efferent systems adapt to hearing loss, supporting feasibility of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Creighton University
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hong, Hui — Creighton University
- Study coordinator: Hong, Hui
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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.