Human Auditory Evoked Potential Laboratory

• Demonstrated that the ability of individual children with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder to detect, recognize and/or discriminate complex signals depends on synchronized neural activity in the auditory system. This research provides an electrophysiological approach to optimizing device choices and fittings, thereby improving speech perception outcomes.
• Demonstrated that electrically evoked auditory event-related responses could be used to evaluate underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of auditory detection and auditory temporal resolution in patients with auditory brainstem implants (ABIs). These responses can also be used to monitor potential electrode migration in children with ABIs. 
• Demonstrated that children with cochlear nerve deficiency have better neural survival at the base of the cochlea than at the apex. This novel research serves as the foundation to shift clinical practice from focusing on stimulating all intra-cochlear cochlear implant electrodes with similar programming parameters to including only functional channels with optimized channel-specific programming settings.

Project title: Neural encoding and auditory perception in cochlear implant users

Funding: R01 | NIH/NIDCD and NIGMS

Objective: Better understand the neurophysiologic basis of speech perception deficits in CI users who are 65 and older, to expand understanding of central versus peripheral limitations on speech perception performance. Also looking to provide insight into why CI outcomes measured in older listeners are worse than those measured in younger adult CI recipients. 

Project title: Neural encoding and auditory processing of electrical stimulation in pediatric cochlear implant users

Funding: R01 | NIH/NIDCD

Objective: Better understand neural encoding and processing of electrical stimulation in children with inner ear malformations to establish how variations in neural survival of cochlear nerve fibers affect neural encoding of electrical stimulation in both the cochlear nerve and the central auditory system. 

Project title: Auditory neural function in implanted patients with Usher syndrome

Funding: R21 | NIH/NIDCD

Objective: Better understand neural encoding and processing of electrical stimulation in patients with Usher syndrome to establish how cochlear nerve degeneration affects neural encoding and processing electrical stimulation, identify tests that distinctly evaluate the loss in the spiral ganglion cells versus the loss in the peripheral axon and yield an objective tool for assessing the site-specific electrode-neural interface in all cochlear implant users.