Sunday, February 15, 2026 2/15/2026

Vestibular Precision: Physiology and Pathophysiology

Award Number: R01DC018287
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Vestibular Precision: Physiology and Pathophysiology - The goal of this proposal is to investigate vestibular precision by quantifying the variability in behavioral responses that result from the neural noise inherent to the peripheral and central vestibular systems. Because neural noise contaminates the signals that are transduced by the ear and processed by the brain, vestibular- mediated behavioral responses vary even when identical stimuli are provided. In this proposal, we focus on vestibular precision in human subjects and investigate its sources, its effects on behavior, and its degradation when the periphery is damaged and its potential plasticity. Specifically, we will investigate: SA 1: Vestibular precision in normal subjects – physiology: A) We will measure the angular and linear vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) using novel motion combinations that reinforce or cancel eye movement responses, which will allow us to determine the distribution and magnitude of noise produced in the sensory (canal, otolith) pathways and in the oculomotor pathway. We hypothesize that normal subjects will demonstrate a bimodal distribution of noise with either sensory or motor predominance, and that subjects with more sensory noise will demonstrate other behavioral characteristics that reflect this characteristic (e.g., higher perceptual thresholds); and B) We will assay vestibular noise from trial-trial variations in the VOR and will compare VOR dynamics with those predicted by a Bayesian model using the assayed noise. We predict variations in VOR dynamics across subjects, age and stimulus amplitudes will be consistent with Bayesian processing of noise. Potential confounding factors will be carefully controlled, including attention, fatigue, and non-vestibular cues. SA 2: Vestibular precision after peripheral damage – pathophysiology: A) We will examine the changes in vestibular precision that occur when one vestibular nerve is damaged (by a vestibular schwannoma, VS) and after the damaged nerve is surgically sectioned, and will investigate if precision measurements can provide evidence of pathologic noise produced by the damaged nerve and therefore help predict clinical outcome when the nerve is sectioned. We hypothesize that changes in signal reliability due to the VS will be traceable to both the reduced redundancy caused by loss of afferent fibers and to aberrant noise generated by the damaged vestibular nerve and that changes in precision after neurectomy will correlate the outcome measures that characterize patient disability; and B) We will examine the plasticity of vestibular precision in the oculomotor and perceptual realms with the goal of determining if precision can be improved. Using novel training approaches that provide challenging signal extraction tasks, we hypothesize that subjects will improve their vestibular precision on the trained task. As secondary outcome measures, we will determine if training one behavior generalizes to the non-trained behavior and if patient’s symptoms are affected by improved precision.


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: 2024 ( Subtotal = $436,541 )
2024	2024	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	6/28/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$436,541
														Subtotal = $436,541

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $520,861 )
2023	2023	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	4	6/28/2023	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$84,320
2023	2023	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	4	6/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$436,541
														Subtotal = $520,861

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $523,411 )
2022	2022	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	6/22/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$436,541
2022	2022	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	3	9/27/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2022	2022	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	3	7/13/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$86,870
														Subtotal = $523,411

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $436,541 )
2021	2021	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	6/17/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$436,541
														Subtotal = $436,541

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $503,904 )
2020	2020	MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY & PHYSICIAN STAFF, INC.	243 CHARLES ST	BOSTON	MA	02114	SUFFOLK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	6/15/2020	NEW	$503,904
														Subtotal = $503,904

Grand Total All Awards = $2,421,258

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Vestibular Precision: Physiology and Pathophysiology

Award Number: R01DC018287

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer