1999 — 2002 |
Hood, Linda J |
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 Genetic Studies of Hereditary Hearing Loss @ Louisiana State Univ Hsc New Orleans
The long-term goal of the proposed studies is to understand the influence of genetics on auditory function. The studies proposed will evaluate the impact of carrying recessive genes on auditory physiology by testing the hypothesis that carriers of genes for hearing loss themselves have auditory anomalies. We propose to study recessive hereditary hearing loss, both nonsyndromic and syndromic, in three groups with varying degrees of genetic isolation, namely the Acadian population of central Louisiana and a closely knit society of Orthodox Jewish Ashkenazi families. Acadian families and Orthodox Jewish Ashkenazi families with nonsyndromic recessive deafness will be studied, as well as Acadian families with Usher syndrome type I. Parents, sibling carriers, non-affected family members, and other control subjects will be evaluated using physiological measures of auditory function with emphasis on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), considered a sensitive measure of cochlear function, and auditory evoked potentials, unmasking of auditory evoked potentials, and suppression of OAEs to assess peripheral auditory afferent and efferent neural function. Characterizing auditory physiologic function in distinct groups of individuals who carry genes for hearing loss will contribute to the basic understanding of the genetic mechanisms related to impaired auditory function and to understanding physiologic differences in auditory function in carriers of genes for hearing loss.
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0.903 |
2007 — 2020 |
Hood, Linda J. |
T35Activity Code Description: To provide individuals with research training during off-quarters or summer periods to encourage research careers and/or research in areas of national need. |
Developing Research Careers in the Hearing Sciences
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A Research Training Program is proposed to provide experience in hearing research to predoctoral students who are enrolled in a clinically based degree (Au.D.) program. The long-term goal is to develop interest in pursuing a career in hearing research. This objective addresses current concern about decreasing numbers of students pursuing research careers in audiology and hearing science. Short-term full-time research support is requested for four predoctoral (Au.D.) students per year for each of the five years of the grant. Trainees will obtain research experience in the research laboratories of ten preceptors in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University. Areas of research in these laboratories span basic science and translational research in animal and human subjects and address topics including cochlear and neural physiology in development and aging, hereditary hearing loss, spatial localization, motion perception, directional hearing and amplification, pediatric audiology, speech recognition in noise, cochlear implants, auditory neural and multisensory cortical function in animal models, and cortical function in stuttering. The full-time research training at the end of the third year of the Au.D. program will be preceded by research-related coursework and a one semester research elective in preparation for the full- time research training. Strengths of the proposed Vanderbilt program are the standing of the Vanderbilt Au.D. program in the academic community, the high caliber of the students, preceptors who teach in and are familiar with the Vanderbilt Au.D. program, the variety of research programs, and the commitment of the faculty and institution demonstrated by plans for specific coursework and activities to maximize the benefit of the NIH-NIDCD supported research training. The research environment is excellent with new state-of-the-art laboratories and numerous interdisciplinary collaborations. Trainees will complete their short-term experience by submitting their research for presentation at a national meeting that emphasizes science and participating in publication of the research. Researchers with clinical backgrounds who develop research skills and careers are well-suited to identify and solve public health problems. The proposed program will provide a focused research experience for students training in clinical audiology with the goal of developing interest in pursuing a research career in hearing. This will benefit society by insuring a strong future for research related to hearing health.
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2014 — 2018 |
Hood, Linda J. Prieve, Beth A. |
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. |
Modeling Auditory Responses and Behavioral Outcomes in Preterm Infants
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Understanding the causes of variability in auditory neural responses is critical for effective diagnosis of hearing problems and evaluation of neural integrity early in life. Since the Children's Health Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-310) was adopted, most newborns in the US are screened for hearing loss, resulting in more than 65,000 infants being referred every year for further diagnostic auditory testing. Interpretation of these diagnostic tests in infants relies on a thorough understanding of measures from the peripheral and central auditory system. Current norms are based on cross-sectional studies collected from select groups of infants almost 3 decades ago. Because of dramatic changes in health care standards, increased survival rates of infants born prematurely, and new physiological tests that allow evaluation of different anatomical levels of the auditory system, more accurate descriptions of auditory neural responses and relevant normative data are necessary. The proposed research has three specific aims. In the first aim, we will construct models of auditory brainstem responses over time in a diverse and representative infant sample based on objective, physiological measurements reflecting peripheral and central processing. Relevant variables such as high risk factors, prematurity of birth, hearing screening outcome, neurodevelopmental delay and language skills will be used to explain variability in the physiological measures. Infants will be followed on an individual level, with responses recorded longitudinally on experimental measures. The statistical method of hierarchical linear modeling will be used to describe the physiological test data. The second aim is to recast the results in a way that predicts the likelihood of neurodevelopmental and language delay based on auditory and medical variables. In the third aim, we will model language growth and describe its trajectory in relationship to auditory factors. An expected outcome of this study is that modern, sensitive measures will be different for infants with normal hearing and development, infants with different categories of hearing loss, infants with delayed auditory development and infants with more global, neurodevelopmental delays. The results from this study will improve our scientific and clinical knowledge of various auditory measures and couple the auditory measures to language and developmental outcomes, influencing the fields of audiology, neonatology, pediatrics, speech-language pathology and early intervention. The proposed research will improve the public health by accelerating the identification of behavioral delays early in life as well as supplying parents and providers with improved information earlier so that they can make more efficient and timely rehabilitation decisions.
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2021 |
Hood, Linda J. Key, Alexandra |
R56Activity Code Description: To provide limited interim research support based on the merit of a pending R01 application while applicant gathers additional data to revise a new or competing renewal application. This grant will underwrite highly meritorious applications that if given the opportunity to revise their application could meet IC recommended standards and would be missed opportunities if not funded. Interim funded ends when the applicant succeeds in obtaining an R01 or other competing award built on the R56 grant. These awards are not renewable. |
Auditory Physiology in Children Exposed to the Zika Virus @ Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Abstract: Prenatal exposure to the mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause a wide range of neurologic abnormalities and developmental disabilities. Studies in children with microcephaly due to ZIKV have identified language delays, but there is a gap in knowledge regarding the state of the auditory system because most evaluations of auditory function in these populations have been limited to newborn hearing screening and assessment of peripheral hearing sensitivity. Additionally, a large group of children with prenatal exposure to ZIKV but without microcephaly has been largely understudied despite the emerging evidence of residual ZIKV effects on speech/language development in those otherwise asymptomatic cases. Identifying auditory problems that could impact listening and communication is critical for preparing adequate care plans as the children enter school. The proposed international research collaboration will focus on filling in these knowledge gaps by systematically and comprehensively characterizing auditory function and its relationship to communicative developmental outcomes in children 4-8 years of age with history of prenatal exposure to ZIKV. The following groups will be studied: (1) children with ZIKV-related microcephaly; (2) children prenatally exposed to ZIKV without microcephaly; and (3) control subjects matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). The proposed longitudinal study will address three specific aims: Specific Aim 1 will characterize auditory function in children with microcephaly due to the ZIKV. We hypothesize that, despite normal peripheral hearing test results, cortical responses will differ from those of age-, sex-, and SES-matched controls. Specific Aim 2 will characterize auditory function in children exposed to the ZIKV but without microcephaly. We hypothesize that this group will have altered auditory function, indexed by atypical cortical responses. Specific Aim 3 will evaluate concurrent and predictive relationships between auditory neural responses and language outcomes in children with prenatal exposure to ZIKV with and without microcephaly. For all participants, we will acquire auditory physiologic responses from the middle ear through cortex and measures of speech/language ability at three time points over 30 months to identify potential indicators related to risk for delays in development of speech, language, and listening problems. We will also examine how additional risk factors, medical history, and general neurodevelopment relate to auditory response findings. The proposed work will be accomplished through a collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and researchers in two states in Brazil who follow some of the largest cohorts of ZIKV-exposed infants in the world. Colleagues in the US and Brazil will have complementary roles in providing expertise in characterizing physiologic function and developing clinical applications in this unique and important population. The results of this work will clarify the impact of ZIKV on auditory function and identify clinically useful measures for detection and management of risk for communication delays that are needed to facilitate adaptive functioning and academic success.
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