2000 |
Tremblay, Kelly |
R03Activity Code Description: To provide research support specifically limited in time and amount for studies in categorical program areas. Small grants provide flexibility for initiating studies which are generally for preliminary short-term projects and are non-renewable. |
Neural Representation of Speech in the Elderly @ University of Washington
The purpose of this investigation is to characterize the effects of aging and age-related hearing loss on the central auditory representation of speech. Whereas much is known about the effects of age and hearing loss on the peripheral auditory system (ear), less is known about the effects of age and hearing loss on the central auditory system (brain) where sounds are integrated into meaningful events. Hearing aids and cochlear implants help compensate for disorders of the ear, but successful rehabilitation also depends on the brain's ability to learn and retain new acoustic cues representing auditory information. The present study compares neural representation of voice-onset-time (VOT) in young and elderly listeners, with and without hearing loss, using neurophysiological as well as behavioral measures. Comparing neural representation of speech in young and elderly listeners will help determine if "older" auditory systems are capable of representing fine-grained temporal speech cues as well as "younger" auditory systems. If a link between perception and neurophysiology can be made, then this research may help explain of why many aging adults do not always receive benefit from hearing aids or cochlear implants. It is hypothesized that aging and hearing loss may differentially alter the neural representation of speech cues in the central auditory system, which may in turn contribute to performance variability. The N1-P2 complex and mismatch negativity (MMN) are passively elicited event-related potentials (ERPs) that will be used to reflect neural representation of VOT in the central auditory system. Both the Nl-P2 complex and MMN have been shown to reflect both acoustic and phonemic representation of speech- sounds. Specifically, this study will determine whether aging, cochlear hearing loss and their interaction influence event- related-potentials (ERPs) elicited by changes in voice-onset-time (VOT). Also, the relationship between each subject's ERPs and each subject's ability to discriminate speech sounds on the basis of VOT will be examined.
|
1 |
2005 — 2009 |
Tremblay, Kelly |
R01Activity Code Description: To support a discrete, specified, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing his or her specific interest and competencies. |
Auditory Training and Neural Plasticity in Older Adults @ University of Washington
[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goals of the proposed research are to examine the effect of advancing age on auditory learning, and to identify the intracerebral sources underlying behaviorally measured gains in skills acquired with training. More specifically, using behavioral and physiological measures, we will characterize the effects of age on the acquisition, generalization, and retention of learned temporal cues. Motivation for this study stems from the fact that older adults, with and without hearing loss, have difficulty perceiving various types of time-varying acoustic cues. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that impaired perception results, in part, from age-related factors affecting neural synchrony. Over the past decade we, and others, have shown that auditory training can alter synchronous neural patterns and improve the perception of the trained temporal cue. However, much of what we know about auditory training and auditory plasticity is limited to young adults and animals. Because the largest proportion of the population with communication disorders is elderly, it is important to determine if older adults can benefit from auditory training, or, if age limits the capacity for neural and perceptual change. [unreadable] [unreadable]
|
1 |
2013 — 2017 |
Bentler, Ruth A (co-PI) [⬀] Tremblay, Kelly |
R01Activity Code Description: To support a discrete, specified, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing his or her specific interest and competencies. |
Linking Snr to Hearing Aid Success @ University of Washington
DESCRIPTION: Hearing loss, and the resulting consequences of it, is an important problem that affects all humans. No person is exempt from the process of aging or the eventual impact it has on the ear-brain system. This point is noteworthy because the portion of the population aged 65 years and older is increasing at a faster rate than the total population. Twenty percent of the population is predicted to be 65 years or older by 2030 and between 35% and 50% will likely report having presbycusis, a sensory impairment that is treated primarily through the use of hearing aids (HA). A major problem, however, is that HA use among people with hearing loss is not prevalent (approximately 25%) and only half of those users report being satisfied with their aided performance in noise. Despite careful efforts to verify that hearing aids (HA) are fitted appropriately in the clinic, there is little evidence to support that current practices result in successful outcomes. Our hypothesis is that successful HA use depends, in part, on the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio being delivered to a person's auditory system by their HA as well as a person's own ability to neurally encode speech in noise. Our overall project goal is to identify patient- and device-centered variables that contribute to HA success so that related outcome measures can be developed and applied in clinical settings. Two expected predictors of real-world HA success are the individual's threshold for speech in noise (SNR-50) as well as the SNR at the output of the HA.
|
1 |
2014 — 2018 |
Tremblay, Kelly |
R21Activity Code Description: To encourage the development of new research activities in categorical program areas. (Support generally is restricted in level of support and in time.) R33Activity Code Description: The R33 award is to provide a second phase for the support for innovative exploratory and development research activities initiated under the R21 mechanism. Although only R21 awardees are generally eligible to apply for R33 support, specific program initiatives may establish eligibility criteria under which applications could be accepted from applicants demonstrating progress equivalent to that expected under R33. |
Defining Universal Barriers and Incentives to Seeking Hearing Health Care @ University of Washington
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Adult-onset hearing loss is a public health problem due to its very high prevalence in older adults and its impact on them, their family and friends. The needs of these people are often under-recognized and given a low priority by policy makers, funders, primary care providers and families. This has been attributed to the lack of success of hearing healthcare (HHC) in reaching those who can benefit, whether through lack of appropriate awareness of the range of HHC that can meet their needs, fear of the stigma associated with hearing aids, or lack of resources. Therefore, there is a need to understand the barriers and facilitators that exist to earlier help-seeking, wider participation and effective support for hearing loss in this older population. This understanding will help us in building and validating a values-based model for choices that people with hearing loss have. This proposal will meet this major research need through the development of a survey instrument (adapted to fit local healthcare policy) to be used in four countries with different HHC policies, using the same research design. The survey will aim to examine the impact of organization, financing and management of health care services on the delivery, quality, cost, access to and outcomes of such services. A secondary aim is to explore the acceptability, benefits and costs of non-technical support for people with hearing loss in the over 60s population. The proposed aims are expected to lead to better health care access and outcomes and direct us to solutions that are effective, affordable and deliverable to those who need them.
|
1 |
2018 |
Tremblay, Kelly |
R41Activity Code Description: To support cooperative R&D projects between small business concerns and research institutions, limited in time and amount, to establish the technical merit and feasibility of ideas that have potential for commercialization. Awards are made to small business concerns only. |
Ihearu Digital Platform
ABSTRACT Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most widespread sensory impairment among adults. ARHL impairs the ability to communicate and thus, people who suffer from hearing loss also experience a significant reduction in quality of life (QoL); including, social isolation. Despite the prevalence of this problem, there is no cure for ARHL. Therefore, it is crucial to develop novel approaches to overcoming the barriers of ARHL and improve the lives of those who live with it. Remarkable research is being conducted in the form of wearable technology (e.g., traditional hearing aids, over- the-counter amplifiers, and personal amplifier systems); however, wearable technology does not restore age- and deprivation-related biological damage that introduces distortion during sound transduction (ear-to-brain). What is more, current wearable technology does not have the signal processing capability to provide adequate signal-to-noise ratios in crowded public establishments. Thus, in addition to wearable technology, it is also important to look to innovative, multi-faceted approaches to serve the communication needs of people. One such way is to empower people with information to choose environments where they can hear and be heard. A longstanding problem is that older adults withdraw socially, saying it is too difficult to hear at church, restaurants, cafes, etc. An ?anticipatory? strategy taught by audiologists and support groups is to ?anticipate? difficult listening situations and plan ahead by choosing locations that provide hearing assistive technology (e.g., hearing loops) and/or optimal sound levels. Despite this advice, it is difficult to determine noise levels in advance. Gathering spots, including restaurants, cafes, movie theaters, places of worship, can be very loud ? even for people without hearing loss. Therefore, we propose a digital platform that permits people to use GPS to locate establishments, and provide user-generated loudness ratings, so they can identify sound environments that are best for them. Through crowdsourcing, information about sound levels as well as the availability of hearing assistive technology, or ADA compliant locations, can be shared. Sound levels, images, and comments are collected using the app iHEARuTM. In its current form, iHEARuTM is a minimum viable product in beta form that has 700-plus beta users. Data from these beta users allow us to now evaluate user patterns and error messages. The data also have tremendous commercial value (e.g., Yelp, Google, licensed restaurants etc.); therefore, the purpose of Phase 1 is to develop a database and app that can be commercialized and used by licensee(s). To achieve this goal, we will work with experts in user-design to determine if: Aim 1) the mobile app can be improved to enhance user interaction and engagement, Aim 2) a digital platform can be designed with elements that are of value to citizens, scientists, and licensees.
|
0.901 |