# Restoration of spectral resolution with hearing-aid amplification

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · 2020 · $149,661

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adults with hearing loss are more vulnerable to interference from background noise than adults with normal
hearing. Despite the fact that the ability to extract speech information imbedded in background noise requires
decoding differences in level across frequency (spectral information), few studies have addressed the extent to
which we can provide spectral information to listeners with hearing loss. This fundamental gap in our knowledge
prevents us from effectively addressing the systemic effects of hearing loss on communication, income, and
ability to socialize with others. This work is a new application of established methods of characterizing spectral
resolution to that of the most common device for rehabilitation of hearing loss—hearing-aid amplification. The
proposed experiments will examine the degree to which access to spectral information can be restored to adults
with hearing loss and the feasibility of utilizing this information to decrease interference from background noise.
Aim 1 will delineate the impact of hearing-aid amplification on spectral decoding. Technology options that must
be set by the clinician or hearing-aid manufacturer will be examined, including the frequency-specific gain,
compressor speed, and number of compression channels. The proposed experiments will test the hypothesis
that restoration of the lost dynamic range of hearing can support the encoding of spectral information. It is also
hypothesized that the combination of technology options that best restore access to spectral information will
differ across individuals and that these differences across individuals can be partially accounted for by an
estimate of outer hair cell function. Aim 2 will determine the extent to which restoring access to spectral
information supports speech recognition in background noise, under the guiding hypothesis that improving
spectral resolution increases speech understanding. If it can be demonstrated that measures of spectral
resolution with the provision of amplification are useful at delineating those who stand to benefit from different
technology options, the knowledge gained could then be applied to the clinic to allow for clinicians to more
successfully choose among different rehabilitation options.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9816624
- **Project number:** 5R21DC017588-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
- **Principal Investigator:** Marc A. Brennan
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $149,661
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-12-01 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9816624

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9816624, Restoration of spectral resolution with hearing-aid amplification (5R21DC017588-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9816624. Licensed CC0.

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