# Effects of Noise Exposure Across the Lifespan on Balance and Stability in Older Adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · VETERANS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN · 2021 · $538,155

## Abstract

Abstract
Loss of stability and falls is a major risk factor for injury and death in older adults. Previously overlooked,
lifetime noise exposure has been shown to cause damage to the vestibular periphery; although, animal models
and human studies that can provide a mechanistic basis connecting noise-induced vestibular dysfunction and
age-related fall risk are limited. The vestibular system plays a critical role in detection of head movements and
orientation with respect to gravity and is essential for normal vision and postural control. Due to their
anatomical proximity to the cochlea, the otolith organs are exposed to sound pressure and are at risk for noise
overstimulation, which may contribute to vestibular dysfunction. However, damage may not be limited to the
otolith organs. Recent studies have linked noise overstimulation to decreased vestibular nerve activity and loss
of a specialized class of irregularly firing vestibular afferents which exhibit enhanced sensitivity to acceleration.
It is likely that these afferents play an important role initiating postural compensation for abrupt changes in
head or body position due to their physiological characteristics and their projection to secondary vestibular
neurons that project to the spinal cord. Therefore, the effects of noise may accelerate disability associated with
natural aging. The goal of this proposal is to characterize vestibular loss associated with natural aging and how
it is compounded by cumulative noise exposures throughout one’s life. Thus, we will systematically investigate
the effects of noise exposure across the lifespan on otolith and canal structure and function (Aim 1),
specifically address the extent of irregular afferent damage and its functional consequences (Aim 2), and asses
changes in posture, mobility and balance with noise exposure (Aim 3). Changes in sensory cell synapses will
be correlated with vestibular reflex impairment and fall risk associated with postural instability and loss of
balance. To improve our understanding of how these changes occur over the lifetime, we will assess
anatomical and functional changes in early-, middle-, and late-adulthood. Further, functional experiments will
be done in parallel in rats and human participants for maximal translation of our results to the clinic.
Individually, both animal and rodent studies have proven invaluable to our understanding of the effects of noise
exposure on vestibular function. However, both have limitations that can be best addressed with a set of
complimentary studies in the two systems. This proposal describes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary
approach that strives to evaluate the underlying mechanisms in increased falls and fall risk due to a history of
noise exposure in older adults. The susceptibility of these individuals to potentially fatal falls underscores the
need for a systematic approach, that can eventually result in improved training and rehabilitation methods to be
used with this populati...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10276071
- **Project number:** 1R01AG073157-01
- **Recipient organization:** VETERANS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN
- **Principal Investigator:** Natela M. Shanidze
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $538,155
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10276071

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10276071, Effects of Noise Exposure Across the Lifespan on Balance and Stability in Older Adults (1R01AG073157-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10276071. Licensed CC0.

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