Understanding why some people with hearing loss can’t understand speech in noise
Official title: Physiological determinants of suprathreshold deficits in sensorineural hearing loss
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11327287 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | May 2, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $587,082 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC022670-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11327287 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older with sensorineural hearing loss who use or may use amplification aids.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without hearing loss or with non-sensorineural hearing issues may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
People with hearing loss often struggle to understand speech in noisy places despite wearing hearing aids. The project will look at how damaged hair cells and changes in brain circuitry affect the clarity of sounds, especially at different frequencies. Researchers will use human and animal data to connect physiological changes to real-world listening difficulties. By mapping how distorted tonotopy and altered neural balance degrade speech perception, the study aims to pinpoint targets for better therapies beyond amplification.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new approaches that improve real-world speech understanding for people with sensorineural hearing loss.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data and animal studies suggest these neural mechanisms influence speech perception; this work seeks to extend those findings in humans.
Where this research is happening
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University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bharadwaj, Hari Meenakshisundaram — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Bharadwaj, Hari Meenakshisundaram
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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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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.
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Why some adults get tinnitus, sound sensitivity, or trouble hearing in noisy places
Researchers will link ear-nerve damage and the brain's overreaction to explain tinnitus, sound sensitivity, and difficulty hearing in background noise in adults with sensorineural hearing loss.
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.