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Understanding Cochlear Amplification and Otoacoustic Emissions

Award Number: R01DC003687
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Understanding Cochlear Amplification and Otoacoustic Emissions - Project Summary Realizing the full potential of otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) as noninvasive probes of cochlear function requires understanding the physical and physiological mechanisms that generate and shape these sounds. To address important unresolved issues of cochlear mechanics while improving our understanding of OAE generation, we propose three aims involving innovative theoretical modeling rigorously tested by experimental measurements. The first Aim seeks to understand how the active, nonlinear cochlea analyzes frequency sweeps, an ecologically important and readily manipulable class of dynamic sounds. Through an innovative mix of behavior, physiology, and theoretical modeling we will test our hypothesis that up-down differences in behavioral masking, cochlear suppression, and the generation of reflection-source OAEs all share a similar, non-monotonic dependence on sweep rate and direction, consistent with the involvement of temporal suppression. As an important control, we will evaluate possible contributions from feedback-based auditory reflexes. We will interpret our results using models of cochlear wave amplification and OAE generation to test the hypothesis that the measured response patterns arise via mechanisms involving interactions between traveling-wave dispersion and nonlinear suppression. The second Aim explores the micromechanics of cochlear wave amplification and its consequences for the generation of distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs). We study DPOAE generation in tightly controlled models that incorporate a variable mix of both local (classical) and nonlocal (push-pull) amplification, the latter as suggested by the prevailing interpretation of the oblique geometry of the outer hair cells within the organ of Corti. The project will determine how the known properties of DPOAEs constrain the nature of the active forces responsible for boosting the sensitivity of hearing. The third Aim studies contributions to cochlear gain arising not directly via active forces within the organ of Corti but via hydrodynamic effects (“pressure focusing”) that depend on fluid coupling within the geometry of the cochlear duct. Our methods allow us to vary the hydrodynamic coupling independent of cochlear micromechanics, enabling us to evaluate the robustness of a promising new method for understanding the functional role of the many details of cytoarchitecture. Completion of these Aims will significantly enhance our understanding of OAE generation and its relationship to cochlear amplification and nonlinearity. The knowledge we gain is also directly relevant to our long-term goal of improving the power of OAE-based diagnostics and other technological applications—such as hearing aids and preprocessors for speech-recognition devices—that benefit from the knowledge of cochlear amplification, nonlinearity, and signal processing.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $624,241 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	27	3/4/2025	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$624,241
														Subtotal = $624,241

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $451,501 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	26	3/13/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$451,501
														Subtotal = $451,501

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $451,501 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	25	4/20/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$451,501
														Subtotal = $451,501

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $451,501 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	24	3/16/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$451,501
														Subtotal = $451,501

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $471,243 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	23	2/20/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$471,243
														Subtotal = $471,243

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $487,053 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	22	7/30/2019	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$42,320
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	22	3/22/2019	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$487,053
2019	2018	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	21	3/19/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2019	2018	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	21	7/30/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$42,320
														Subtotal = $487,053

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $496,696 )
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER STREET THIRD FLOOR	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	21	4/3/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$49,668
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER STREET THIRD FLOOR	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	21	12/27/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$447,028
														Subtotal = $496,696

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $496,696 )
2017	2017	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER STREET THIRD FLOOR	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	20	5/24/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$49,670
2017	2017	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER STREET THIRD FLOOR	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	20	12/23/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$447,026
2017	2016	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	18	12/1/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $496,696

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $486,128 )
2016	2016	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3500 SOUTH FIGUEROA STREET 102	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	19	9/1/2016	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$368,859
2016	2016	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	18	8/31/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$366,625
2016	2016	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	18	12/22/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$435,506
2016	2016	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	18	1/8/2016	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$48,388
														Subtotal = $486,128

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $479,055 )
2015	2015	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	17	12/26/2014	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$435,506
2015	2015	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	17	1/21/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$43,549
														Subtotal = $479,055

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $507,694 )
2014	2014	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	16	12/23/2013	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$507,694
														Subtotal = $507,694

Issue Date FY: 2013 ( Subtotal = $267,169 )
2013	2013	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	15	5/9/2013	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$14,062
2013	2013	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	15	1/5/2013	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$253,107
														Subtotal = $267,169

Issue Date FY: 2012 ( Subtotal = $281,231 )
2012	2012	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	14	12/19/2011	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$253,107
2012	2012	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	14	1/26/2012	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$28,124
														Subtotal = $281,231

Issue Date FY: 2011 ( Subtotal = $281,231 )
2011	2011	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	13	6/2/2011	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$19,755
2011	2011	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	13	12/28/2010	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$261,476
														Subtotal = $281,231

Issue Date FY: 2010 ( Subtotal = $290,528 )
2010	2010	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	12	12/30/2009	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$290,528
														Subtotal = $290,528

Issue Date FY: 2009 ( Subtotal = $304,300 )
2009	2009	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	11	11/11/2008	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$304,300
														Subtotal = $304,300

Issue Date FY: 2008 ( Subtotal = $315,104 )
2008	2008	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	10	12/28/2007	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$315,104
														Subtotal = $315,104

Issue Date FY: 2007 ( Subtotal = $319,254 )
2007	2007	MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY, OFF OF RES ADMIN	243 CHARLES STREET	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	9	12/25/2006	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$319,254
														Subtotal = $319,254

Issue Date FY: 2006 ( Subtotal = $328,788 ) (Continued on the next page)
Grand Total All Awards = $9,321,738

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Understanding Cochlear Amplification and Otoacoustic Emissions

Award Number: R01DC003687

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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