Mark Eckert, Ph.D.

The Research

Medical University of South Carolina

Neural changes underlying speech-perception training in the aging brain

Many older adults with hearing loss have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments and some feel socially isolated. Although hearing aids can improve speech understanding, hearing aid benefit may be limited if the perception of certain speech sounds has changed. Speech training programs have been shown to improve the recognition of amplified speech by older adults by focusing on re-learning cues important for perception of specific sounds. The goal of our study is to examine how the brain changes during speech training programs designed to improve speech understanding in noise. To achieve this goal, we are using MRI to examine brain activation before and after speech training and relate this activation to improvements in speech recognition. Our long term goal is to enhance the effectiveness of speech training programs by understanding the brain systems that are important for learning to hear amplified speech.

This research award is funded by the Centurions of the Deafness Research Foundation. DRF partnered with CORE Grants Program of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) to offer a one-year Centurion Clinical Research Award (CCRA) for clinical research in hearing and balance sciences.