Learn to Listen: The Role of Perceptual Learning in Hearing Impairments

A woman struggles to hear.

Older adults experience hearing challenges that are not fully explained by age-related hearing loss. Does sensory learning play a role? 

Project is Not Currently Available

This project has reached full capacity for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.

Project description

Many older adults, even those without hearing loss, demonstrate exceptional difficulty following conversations in noisy environments, greatly impacting their social experiences. This impairment is thought to result from age-related decline in both auditory system function and in cognitive abilities such as attention and working memory. Yet, these variables do not account for all individual differences in older adults’ ability to hear in noise. This project tests the hypothesis that older adults who exhibit higher perceptual adaptation to background noise are those with better ability to follow conversations in challenging listening environments. Students will conduct auditory behavioral assessments and electroencephalography (EEG) recording of neural responses in older adults that will reveal the extent to which individual differences in perceptual adaptation explains variability in auditory perception. The results of this work will lead to a better understanding of the neural and perceptual mechanisms underlying communication impairments in older adults. 

Project outcome

Students will have the opportunity to obtain authorship on a manuscript and/or present a conference poster.

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Year-long (10-12 months) 
Start time Summer (May/June) 
In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-Person Project
Level of collaboration This specific project will be independent but is related to other projects in the lab. The student will have the opportunity to work with other students throughout the project. 
Benefits Stipend
Who is eligible

Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors

Students must have completed introductory coursework in speech and hearing science, psychology, neuroscience, or biology.

Project mentor

Mishaela DiNino

Assistant Professor

Communicative Disorders and Sciences

Phone: (716) 829-5311

Email: dinino@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Obtain a general understanding of the auditory system
  •  Read relevant research papers
  •  Complete human subjects training 

Keywords

Communicative Disorders and Sciences, audiology, speech, hearing, learning, EEG, brain, aging, Speech and Hearing, Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, Communicative Disorders and Sciences