Understanding how age affects listening effort in noisy environments
Physiological markers of listening effort and their dependence on age
This study is looking at how age affects how hard it is to understand speech in noisy environments, and it’s for anyone interested in how listening gets tougher as we get older; researchers will measure things like your eye responses and how you feel about the effort to help find better ways to understand speech challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10887652 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates how age influences the effort required to understand speech, especially in noisy settings. It aims to identify physiological markers of listening effort, which may help in diagnosing speech perception difficulties that are not captured by traditional tests. By manipulating various auditory conditions, the study will measure listening effort through self-reports, pupil size, and neural responses. This approach seeks to deepen our understanding of how cognitive resources are utilized during speech comprehension across different age groups.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research include adults over the age of 21 who experience challenges with speech recognition, particularly in noisy environments.
Not a fit: Patients who do not have any hearing difficulties or cognitive impairments may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better diagnostic tools for assessing speech perception difficulties in older adults and those with hearing impairments.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promise in understanding listening effort and its impact on speech perception, indicating that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mesik, Juraj — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Mesik, Juraj
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.