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Cortical processing of informational masking

Award Number: R01DC019126
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: 09/18/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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Cortical processing of informational masking - PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The most pressing issue with hearing aids and cochlear implants is that they function poorly in noisy environments for most users, where even mild hearing loss can make it difficult to ignore background sound. Suppression of unwanted sound is crucial for communication in social settings, such as the workplace. Inability to understand speech in these situations, called masking, can lead to social isolation and reduced employment. Two principal types of masking interfere with optimal function of hearing aids and cochlear implants. The first type, called energetic masking, is well characterized through psychophysics, physiology and modeling. The second type, called informational masking, is currently only defined as a psychological construct and much less understood. Energetic masking occurs when target speech and background sound excite the same auditory nerve fibers at the same time. Even an ideal listener would be mostly unable to recover an energetically masked target. In contrast, informational masking occurs even when target and background sound do not overlap in time and frequency, and when an ideal listener could restore the target information. Informational masking thus holds a key to improved hearing aid and cochlear implant design. Moreover, individual listeners differ dramatically in their ability to suppress informational masking. However, hearing aids and cochlear implants only intend to mitigate energetic masking, ignoring vulnerability to informational masking. Towards improved fitting of hearing aids and cochlear implants, we propose to develop an objective scale of vulnerability to informational masking based on cortical function. We propose to examine cortical mechanisms of informational masking in humans and in an animal model organism of human auditory processing, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). First, we will test normal-hearing human listeners as well as gerbils under conditions of informational masking and simultaneously record from auditory cortex. In humans, we will record the hemodynamic response of blood oxygenation, using a quick and robust assessment technique with clinical relevance. In gerbils, we will measure neuronal activity in auditory cortex from trained animals. We will use this data to develop an objective metric of an individual’s vulnerability to informational masking. Second, we will examine the neuronal mechanisms of informational masking by introducing rapid unpredictable changes in background sound and assessing if high vulnerability to informational masking is due to predominant reliance on suppressing background activity (as opposed to enhanced responses to the target) in humans and gerbils. Third, using our animal model, we will test how hearing loss affects susceptibility to informational masking. Collectively, this proposal will functionally define informational masking at both perceptual and cortical processing levels. The results are expected to significantly advance our understanding of the origins and scope of this central auditory processing deficit in common everyday situations with background sound.


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 = $237,055 )
2025	2025	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	5	7/31/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$237,055
														Subtotal = $237,055

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $237,527 )
2024	2024	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	4	8/14/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$237,527
														Subtotal = $237,527

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $237,971 )
2023	2023	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	8/15/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$237,971
2023	2023	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	3	8/18/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $237,971

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2022	2021	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	003	2	8/12/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2022	2021	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	10/21/2021	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2022	2021	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	2	2/2/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$266,795
2022	2020	NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	323 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD	NEWARK	NJ	07102	ESSEX	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	2/2/2022	NEW	-$266,795
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $254,553 )
2021	2021	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY	5000 FORBES AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	2	8/25/2021	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$254,553
2021	2020	NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	323 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD	NEWARK	NJ	07102	ESSEX	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/23/2021	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $254,553

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $308,671 )
2020	2020	NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY	323 DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD	NEWARK	NJ	07102	ESSEX	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	9/18/2020	NEW	$308,671
														Subtotal = $308,671

Grand Total All Awards = $1,275,777

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Cortical processing of informational masking

Award Number: R01DC019126

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: 09/18/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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