# Development of medial efferent mechanisms in children

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2024 · $332,427

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ ABSTRACT
 Efferent feedback—a hallmark of peripheral sound coding—plays a critical role in auditory
development and plasticity and offers a potential mechanism for minimizing noise-induced cochlear
synaptopathy and supra-threshold perceptual deficits. However, our knowledge of how efferent
mechanisms develop in humans is extremely limited. The overarching goal of this research is to
understand the development of medial efferent mechanisms in humans and their involvement in
auditory development. The objective of the proposed project is to systematically investigate the
development of the temporal features of efferent effects. Our central hypothesis is that children
exhibit developmental changes in efferent effects as a result of developmental plasticity in the
brainstem. Our rationale is that detailed knowledge of how efferents work and develop will lead to a
better understanding of the role of efferents in auditory development and perceptual deficits. The
proposed project has two specific aims: 1) To determine the development of the efferent sensitivity to
temporal fluctuations; and 2) To determine the developmental changes in the temporal dynamics of
efferent effects. The proposed work is conceptually innovative because it will provide information on
the poorly-understood developmental aspects of efferent effects in the children. The approach
involves a compelling mix of sweep-tone OAE measurements with advanced signal processing (time-
frequency analysis) techniques. The proposed research will provide significant new knowledge
regarding how efferents develop in humans, and has implications for (1) for understanding the
involvement of efferents in supra-threshold hearing, (2) forming theories of auditory development, (3)
developing OAE-based tests of efferent function for predicting susceptibility to noise-induced hearing
loss, (4) constructing accurate auditory models, and (5) designing improved hearing device
algorithms. The principal investigator is experienced in conducting this kind of research in the current
environment. Overall, the proposed project will make a sustained impact on our understanding of the
human efferent system and its development, and on the field of pediatric audiology.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10907557
- **Project number:** 5R01DC018046-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Srikanta Mishra
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $332,427
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10907557

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10907557, Development of medial efferent mechanisms in children (5R01DC018046-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10907557. Licensed CC0.

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