Understanding Hearing Loss and Speech in Noisy Environments
Official title: Effects of Sensorineural Hearing Loss on Robust Speech Coding
Funded at Purdue University · NIH-11101397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand why some people with hearing loss find it harder to understand speech, especially in noisy places.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Purdue University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Lafayette, United States) |
| Project start | July 18, 2009 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $612,914 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC009838-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11101397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who experience sensorineural hearing loss and have difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy environments, are the focus of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose communication difficulties are not related to sensorineural hearing loss or speech processing in noise may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Many people with hearing loss struggle to understand conversations, particularly when there's background noise, which can affect their daily lives and well-being. Even with similar hearing loss, some individuals have a much harder time than others, suggesting there are hidden differences in how their brains process sound. This work explores how hearing loss affects the brain's ability to process complex sound patterns, like those in speech, especially when other sounds are present. By looking closely at how the ear and brain handle these signals, we hope to uncover the specific reasons behind these communication challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to identify the specific challenges individuals with hearing loss face and develop more effective hearing aids or therapies.
How similar studies have gone: While previous work has shown that sensitivity to certain sound patterns predicts speech-in-noise performance, the exact mechanisms explored in this project are understudied.
Where this research is happening
-
Purdue University
West Lafayette, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heinz, Michael G — Purdue University
- Study coordinator: Heinz, Michael G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Sensorineural hearing loss and how it affects understanding speech
This project explores why people with similar hearing loss have different abilities to understand speech, especially in noisy places, and aims to uncover the brain and ear mechanisms behind these differences.
-
Understanding why phantom sounds and intolerance to sounds happen after hearing loss
This grant investigates why some adults with hearing loss experience tinnitus, hyperacusis, and trouble ignoring background noise, and how brain changes relate to these symptoms.
-
Biomarkers linked to cochlear nerve damage in adults with sensorineural hearing loss
A project to find biological markers of cochlear nerve damage and see how they relate to hearing problems like difficulty hearing in noise and tinnitus in adults with hearing loss.
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Cochlear nerve connections and hearing loss in human temporal bones
A large, patient-facing research effort analyzes how nerve connections in the inner ear deteriorate in people with sensorineural hearing loss by studying post-mortem human temporal bones.
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Cochlear nerve disease and how it affects hearing in models of hearing loss
This grant studies how damage to the nerves of the ear happens and how it affects hearing in noisy places, using animal models to inform future human therapies.
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Understanding why some people with hearing loss can’t understand speech in noise
This grant studies why some people with hearing loss can’t understand speech in noisy environments, even when they can hear it, to identify new ways to help them hear and understand better.
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.