The Studies
Hearing disorders of many types begin in the inner ear, but they have long-term effects in the brain. The Hearing Research Group at NEOMED is a diverse group of scientists interested in how the central nervous system functions in association with hearing and vocal communication, how it is affected by hearing disorders, and how interventions of the peripheral and central nervous systems may ameliorate hearing disorders.
NEOMED researchers study several hearing and communication health issues:
- Age-related hearing loss
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Hearing loss during development
- Auditory processing disorder
- Tinnitus
- Emotional disorders in speech communication
- Organization of the normal hearing brain
The Statistics
15%
Of American adults (37.5 million) report some trouble with hearing.
1 in 12
Nearly 1 in 12 U.S. children ages 3-17 have had a disorder related to voice, speech, language or swallowing in the past 12 months.
50M+
Over 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
The Successes
Bao lab
Potential molecular targets for noise-induced hearing loss in spiral ganglion neurons
Lu lab
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuromodulation by metabotropic glutamate receptors in sound localization circuits
Schofield lab
We discovered circuits (red fibers contacting the blue and green nerve cell) that may allow us to tune in to sounds that are interesting and tune out sounds that are distracting. Dysfunction in these circuits may relate to the difficulties in hearing that often accompany aging.
Rosen lab
Early childhood hearing loss can result in long-lasting problems with speech perception. We discovered a novel method of remediating perceptual problems that also improved neural sensitivity in the auditory cortex.
The Scientists
Drug and gene therapies for hearing loss and tinnitus
Neural mechanisms underlying tinnitus, and potential therapies
Mechanisms of neurotransmission underlying auditory processing
Auditory perception and learning during adolescence
Age-related circuit changes that occur before hearing loss
Bruna Mussoi, Au.D., Ph.D.
Age-related factors that impact speech perception
Effects of stress and hearing loss on auditory perception and neural circuits
Neuroanatomical and neurochemical analysis of auditory circuitry
Neural circuits underlying emotional vocal communication
Cellular properties of neurons that support sound localization
The Stories
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Read the StoryThe timing couldn’t have been better for Katie Bretland to have been awarded the Alan and Janice Woll Graduate Assistant […]
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Read the StoryBetty Lin-Fisher of the Akron Beacon Journal wondered: Is there any truth to the age-old battle between parents and their […]
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Read the StoryMerri Rosen, Ph.D., has been elected as the new director of the Hearing Research Group, one of Northeast Ohio Medical […]
Contact
Merri Rosen, Ph.D.
Director, Hearing Research Group
Phone: 330.325.6516
Email: mrosen@neomed.edu
Hearing Research
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