# Developmental effects of early hearing loss on auditory information processing

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2021 · $523,601

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Binaural hearing allows accurate and precise localization of sounds, and also confers advantages in complex
environments such as workplaces, classrooms, restaurants, etc. where competing speech streams, noisy
backgrounds, and reverberation abound. Unfortunately, an increasing population, spanning infancy through
elderly and of diverse etiology, experiences severe difficulty in such environments despite having normal
audiometric thresholds. Such difficulties are a hallmark of Central Auditory Processing Disorder, CAPD, which
refers to difficulties in processing acoustic information in the central auditory system as demonstrated by poor
hearing performance, often specifically in binaural hearing tasks. CAPD-like challenges can emerge as a result
of temporary conductive hearing loss, aging, traumatic brain injury, autism, neurodegenerative diseases
(multiple sclerosis) and use of bilateral clinical devices (hearing aids, cochlear implants). The consequences of
CAPD can be severe; in children, CAPD impacts speech and language learning and academic performance
and in adults, quality of life, job performance, fitness for duty, social interactions, etc. Regardless of etiology, a
major limitation in CAPD is that clinical diagnosis is based on a cluster of symptoms, many of which overlap
with other developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities and
language deficits. Moreover, behavioral assessments of auditory processing, particularly in children and
elderly, have poor reliability with scores often reflecting higher-level cognitive or analytical processes rather
than basic auditory sensory processing. Thus, early intervention and implementation of rehabilitation strategies
in CAPD patients is precluded. A potential way to surmount this barrier is to use non-invasive
electrophysiological measures. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) are used worldwide for newborn and
adult hearing screening. Because different ABR waves broadly represent activity within different parts of the
auditory pathway, it is possible to assess the functional state of distinct stages of the pathway using
appropriate stimuli. Binaural stages can be assessed using the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the
ABR. The BIC is the residual ABR obtained after subtracting the sum of monaurally- from binaurally-evoked
ABRs. Prior research has identified the BIC as a potential biomarker for binaural ability. As the BIC can be
measured using equipment and methods already available in most audiology clinics, its development as
diagnostic tool could have immediate and widespread clinical value. However, while comparative studies have
reported robust BIC in a variety of model species, reports of human BIC are perplexingly variable and
unreliable. The proposed research comprises three Aims to establish a comprehensive understanding of the
BIC, including 1) identification of its brainstem circuit origin, 2) identification of sourc...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10188487
- **Project number:** 5R01DC011555-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** Achim Klug
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $523,601
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-12-09 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10188487

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10188487, Developmental effects of early hearing loss on auditory information processing (5R01DC011555-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10188487. Licensed CC0.

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