# Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center VII

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2020 · $2,472,597

## Abstract

Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): Gantz, Bruce J.
PROJECT SUMMARY - OVERVIEW
Hearing loss is a pervasive problem and, according to statistics from the NIDCD/NIH website, it is estimated
that it affects nearly 37.5 million Americans aged 18 years and older. While remediation with hearing aids and
cochlear implants has assisted those with moderate to profound loss, noise interferes with the ability to
understand speech. Our research has identified the important advantage of combining acoustic+electric
speech processing (A+E) to facilitate improved hearing in noise. Application of A+E processing has improved
outcomes of cochlear implants in quiet and noise, but there is significant individual variability in outcome
measures among subjects. To address these issues, this application requests continuation of the Iowa
Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center. In this proposal we will investigate hearing and auditory perception
using studies that explore the mechanisms of electrical, acoustic, and A+E hearing from the auditory periphery
to the cortex, including measures of cortical (re)organization and higher order language processing. Equally
important, we also explore human ecology—factors in the person and in the environment that can mediate or
impede successful communication and can be modified by A+E speech processing. Our overarching goal of
this competitive renewal is to apply basic and cognitive neuroscience methodologies to assist us in addressing
these fundamental questions about how individuals use both acoustic and electric auditory information. Four
research projects, Human Ecology, Peripheral Electrophysiology, Central Auditory Integration and Cognitive
Dynamics of Language Processing, an administrative and patient care/technical support cores are proposed.
The overall objectives are to examine the impact that A+E processing function has on real-life socialization,
cognition and quality of life issues, and to evaluate auditory processing from the periphery to cortical and
higher level processing. We plan to study 200 newly implanted adult subjects with A+E hearing preservation
implants, 50 subjects that use a hearing aid, 50 normal hearing subjects, and a combination of 300 previously
implanted subjects with A+E, bimodal or single CIs that participate in our research registry. The four research
projects are highly integrated and depend on data from each other to answer the experimental questions
proposed.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9844461
- **Project number:** 5P50DC000242-33
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Bruce Jay Gantz
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $2,472,597
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-09-09 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9844461

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9844461, Iowa Cochlear Implant Clinical Research Center VII (5P50DC000242-33). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9844461. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*