What helps hearing training improve understanding and brain health
Mediators and Moderators of Auditory Training
This project uses listening training to help older adults with hearing trouble understand speech better and possibly lower their risk for dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northeastern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11135335 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'll do structured listening exercises and tasks designed to improve how your brain processes sound, and researchers will measure whether you understand speech better in noisy places. They'll give hearing tests, memory and thinking tests, and brain or listening-task measures before and after the training to see what changes. The team will compare people by age, baseline hearing, and cognitive health to learn who gains the most. The information will help match training to people who are most likely to benefit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults with age-related hearing difficulties or trouble understanding speech in noise, especially those worried about memory or dementia risk.
Not a fit: People with severe peripheral hearing loss best treated by hearing aids or cochlear implants, or those without central auditory processing issues, may not benefit from this training.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could improve speech understanding in noisy environments and potentially reduce dementia risk linked to hearing problems.
How similar studies have performed: Previous small trials have shown modest improvements in speech-in-noise understanding and brain measures from auditory training, but long-term effects on dementia risk remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Northeastern University — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seitz, Aaron R — Northeastern University
- Study coordinator: Seitz, Aaron R
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.