# Listening in noise, clutter, and reverberant environments - central effects of aging and approaches to remediation

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK · 2020 · $226,693

## Abstract

Project 1 Abstract
 The focus of this project is Age-related hearing loss (AHRL, presbyacusis), a widespread condition due to age
related changes along the auditory pathway. Great strides have been made elucidating the peripheral changes,
but age related changes in the central nervous system remain largely unknown. The project revolves around the
hypothesis that cortical plasticity can play an effective role in maintaining effective auditory function in old age,
by countering diminished synaptic depression and rewired inhibitory circuits. The project describes a series of
behavioral and neurophysiological/imaging experiments in aged animals, which explore the physiological and
behavioral correlates of ARHL and propose experiments to test how cortical plasticity could be directed to counter
it. In pursuit of these goals, behavioral, neurophysiological, and imaging approaches are combined to
characterize the encoding of speech in noise in aged animals and characterize how cortical plasticity which
enhances the robustness of speech perception in noise in the young is inefficient in the aged. The project then
goes on to study the cellular mechanisms that fail with age, and develop therapeutic strategies through plasticity
induced by engagement of cognitive functions. The project exploits many technologies to achieve its goals such
as single-unit recordings, in vivo 2-photon imaging in passive and the behaving animals and in vitro circuit
mapping approaches. The final aim of the project is to develop remedial interventions and adaptive training
procedures to reverse some of the age-related changes.
1

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962263
- **Project number:** 5P01AG055365-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
- **Principal Investigator:** Shihab A Shamma
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $226,693
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962263, Listening in noise, clutter, and reverberant environments - central effects of aging and approaches to remediation (5P01AG055365-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962263. Licensed CC0.

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