Understanding how we focus on sounds we want to hear while ignoring background noise
Official title: Mechanisms of auditory selective attention for speech and non-speech stimuli
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-10997331 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how kids and others can pay attention to important sounds, like a friend's voice, even when there's a lot of noise around, to help us understand how our brains filter out distractions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $76,756 |
| NIH project number | 5F32DC020625-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10997331 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years, particularly those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not within the age range of 0-11 years or do not have attention-related disorders may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how individuals, especially children, can focus on specific sounds, like a friend's voice, while ignoring distracting background noises. It aims to explore the cognitive and neural mechanisms behind auditory selective attention, which is crucial for effective communication in noisy environments. By examining both human and animal models, the study seeks to bridge the gap in understanding how attention works for different types of sounds. The research will also look into whether focusing on important sounds involves suppressing irrelevant information.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies and technologies for helping children with attention deficits, such as ADHD, to better manage auditory distractions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in understanding auditory attention mechanisms, but this study aims to explore untested assumptions and fill existing gaps in the literature.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luthra, Sahil — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Luthra, Sahil
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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.